CNN
—
Scientists know that air pollution can make it difficult to breathe and may ultimately cause serious health problems like cancer, but a new study shows that it might also have a negative impact on teens’ blood pressure.
Exposure to higher levels of nitrogen dioxide was associated with lower blood pressure in teens, according to the study, published Wednesday in the journal PLOS One. Exposure to particulate matter 2.5, also known as particle pollution, was associated with higher blood pressure.
The researchers say the impact is “considerable.”
Other studies have found a connection between blood pressure changes and pollution, but much of that work focuses on adults. Some research has also found negative associations with pollution exposure and younger children, but little has focused on teens.
Generally, low blood pressure can cause immediate problems like confusion, tiredness, blurred vision and dizziness. High blood pressure in adolescence can lead to a lifetime of health problems including a higher risk of stroke or heart attack. It’s a leading risk factor for premature death worldwide.
The study did not look at whether the teens had symptoms or health effects from the change in blood pressure.
The scientists saw this association between pollution and blood pressure in data from the Determinants of Adolescent Social Well-Being and Health study, which tracks the health of a large and ethnically diverse group of children in London over time.
The researchers took data from more than 3,200 teens and compared their records to their exposures to pollution based on annual pollution levels where they lived.
Nitrogen dioxide pollution is most commonly associated with traffic-related combustion byproducts. Nitrogen may help plants grow, but it can impair a person’s ability to breathe and may cause damage to the human respiratory tract. In this study, the nitrogen was thought to be coming predominantly from diesel traffic.
The particle pollution in the study is so tiny – 1/20th of a width of a human hair – that it can travel past the body’s usual defenses. Instead of being carried out when a person exhales, it can get stuck in the lungs or go into the bloodstream. The particles cause irritation and inflammation and may lead to a whole host of…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at CNN.com – RSS Channel – HP Hero…