Skip to main content

Short-Term Exposure to Air Pollutants Linked to Incidence of Stroke

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com.

By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, Sept. 28, 2023 -- There is a significant association between short-term exposure to air pollutants and the incidence and mortality rate of stroke, according to a review published online Sept. 27 in Neurology.

Ahmad Toubasi, M.D., and Thuraya N. Al-Sayegh, M.D., from the University of Jordan in Amman, conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to examine the correlation between short-term exposure to air pollutants and stroke. A total of 110 observational studies, with 18,035,408 cases of ischemic stroke, were included in the analysis. Short-term exposure was defined as exposure within five days of stroke onset.

The researchers found that stroke incidence was significantly associated with an increase in the concentration of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ozone, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide (SO2), and particulate matter with diameters of less than 1.0 µm, less than 2.5 µm (PM2.5), and less than 10 µm (PM10; relative risks, 1.28, 1.05, 1.26, 1.15, 1.09, 1.15, and 1.14, respectively). In addition, significant associations were seen for increases in the concentration of NO2, SO2, PM2.5, and PM10 with increased stroke mortality (relative risks, 1.33, 1.60, 1.09, and 1.02, respectively).

"There is a strong and significant association between air pollution and the occurrence of stroke as well as death from stroke within five days of exposure," Toubasi said in a statement. "This highlights the importance of global efforts to create policies that reduce air pollution. Doing so may reduce the number of strokes and their consequences."

Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Posted September 2023

Read this next

Implantable Continuous Flow Device Feasible for Small Children With Severe Systolic Heart Failure

FRIDAY, May 10, 2024 -- The Jarvik 2015 left ventricular assist device (LVAD) seems promising as an implantable continuous flow device for small children with severe systolic...

Clinical Practice Guideline Developed for Age-Related Hearing Loss

FRIDAY, May 10, 2024 -- In a clinical practice guideline issued by the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation and published online April 30 in...

Large Language Models Fall Short in Breast Imaging Classification

FRIDAY, May 10, 2024 -- Large language models (LLMs) appear to fall short in classification of breast imaging, which can have a negative impact on clinical management, according...

More news resources

Subscribe to our newsletter

Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.