Exposure to diesel exhaust increases clot formation and blood platelet activity, U boosting men's risk for heart attack and stroke, a small study has found.
The Study
The volunteers—20 healthy men, ages 21 to 44—were first exposed to clean, filtered air (as a control and then to diluted diesel exhaust at 300 micrograms per meter cubed (mcg/m3)—comparable to the amount breathed in by a person beside a busy street.
Tests conducted on the blood of the volunteers at two hours and six hours after exposure to diesel exhaust revealed a 19.1% to 24.2% increase in clot formation and an increase in activation of blood platelets (which play a major role in clotting) at two hours after diesel exhaust exposure.
Link To Heart Attack
"The study results are closely tied with previous observational and epidemiological studies showing that shortly after exposure to traffic air pollution, individuals are more likely to suffer a heart attack," said study lead author Dr. Andrew Lucking, a cardiology fellow at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland.
"This study shows that when a person is exposed to relatively high levels of diesel exhaust for a short time, the blood is more likely to clot. This could lead to a blocked vessel resulting in heart attack or stroke," he said.
Expert Advice
Based on the findings, people with existing cardiovascular disease shouldn't exercise in areas where there's heavy traffic, Lucking added.
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