Even Low Levels Of Air Pollution May Quietly 'Damage' Your Heart, MRI Study Finds

Scientists have discovered that even low levels of air pollution, previously considered“safe”, can scar the human heart. Advanced cardiac MRI scans have now exposed early signs of myocardial fibrosis, or heart muscle scarring, in individuals exposed to fine particulate matter in the air. This damage, if left unchecked, could pave the way to heart failure.

Published in Radiology, the flagship journal of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), the study suggests that these invisible particles-known as PM2.5-may be far more dangerous than once believed. These ultra-fine pollutants, thinner than a strand of hair, infiltrate the lungs and slip into the bloodstream, triggering lasting harm to the heart.

"We know that if you're exposed to air pollution, you're at higher risk of cardiac disease, including higher risk of having a heart attack. We wanted to understand what drives this increased risk at the tissue level." explained senior author Dr. Kate Hanneman, from the Department of Medical Imaging at the University of Toronto.

What study showed 

Dr. Hanneman and her team used high-resolution cardiac MRIs to examine heart muscle scarring in 694 participants, including both healthy individuals and those suffering from dilated cardiomyopathy, a condition that weakens the heart's ability to pump blood. Higher long-term exposure to PM2.5 pollution was linked to greater levels of myocardial fibrosis regardless of pre-existing heart conditions.

The damage was especially pronounced in women, smokers, and individuals with high blood pressure already vulnerable to heart complications.

"Even modest increases in air pollution levels appear to have measurable effects on the heart," Dr. Hanneman emphasized. "Our study suggests that air quality may play a significant role in changes to heart structure, potentially setting the stage for future cardiovascular disease."

The exposure levels noted in the study fell below many of the global air quality guidelines. This pointed that no level of air pollution may be truly safe.

These findings not only add to the growing body of evidence linking polluted air with cardiovascular risk but also underscore the need to include a patient's environmental exposure history in routine heart disease risk assessments.

"If an individual works outside in an area with poor air quality," Dr. Hanneman noted, "healthcare providers could incorporate that exposure history into heart disease risk assessment."

The study spotlights the crucial role radiologists can play in uncovering how environmental toxins silently erode our health.

"Medical imaging can be used as a tool to understand environmental effects on a patient's health," Dr. Hanneman said.“As radiologists, we have a tremendous opportunity to use imaging to identify and quantify some of the health effects of environmental exposures in various organ systems.”

"Public health measures are needed to further reduce long-term air pollution exposure," Dr. Hanneman urged. "There have been improvements in air quality over the past decade, both in Canada and the United States, but we still have a long way to go."

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