Studyair pollution to blood clots in veins

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Study links air pollution to blood clots in veins

Mon May 12, 4:11 PM ET

_http://news./s/nm/20080512/hl_nm/pollution_bloodclots_dc_

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CHICAGO (Reuters) - Air pollution heavy in small particles may cause blood

clots in the legs, the same condition air travelers call " economy class

syndrome " from immobility during flight, researchers said on Monday.

 

Dr. Andrea Baccarelli of the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston and

colleagues said they found the link after looking at 870 people in Italy who

had developed deep vein thrombosis between 1995 and 2005.

 

When compared with 1,210 others living in the same region who did not have

the problem, they found that for every increase in particulate matter of 10

micrograms per square meter the previous year, the risk of deep vein thrombosis

increased by 70 percent.

 

On top of that, the blood of those with higher levels of exposure to

particulate matter was quicker to clot when tested at a clinic, they reported

in the

Archives of Internal Medicine.

 

Air pollution from automobiles and industry can contain tiny particles of

carbon, nitrates, metals and other materials that have been linked over the

years to a variety of health problems.

 

While lung diseases were an initial concern, later research has indicated it

may cause heart disease and stroke, possibly because it increases the rate

at which blood can coagulate, Baccarelli and colleagues said.

 

Until now particulate pollution had not been linked to blood clots in the

veins. The mechanism that causes problems for some air travelers is related not

to the blood itself but to impaired circulation when sitting in one place

without exercise for long periods of time.

 

The findings introduce a new and common risk for deep vein thrombosis, the

researchers said and " give further substance to the call for tighter standards

and continued efforts aimed at reducing the impact of urban air pollutants

on human health. "

 

In a commentary, Dr. Robert Brook of the of the University of Michigan in

Ann Arbor said if the findings are proven by additional research it may turn

out that " the actual totality of the health burden posed by air pollution,

already known to be tremendous, may be even greater than ever anticipated. "

 

(Reporting by Michael Conlon; editing by Maggie Fox and David Wiessler)

 

 

 

 

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