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Traffic - Risk of a Heart Attack?

Posted: Monday, November 08, 2004

This study, carried out by the GSF-National Research Centre for Environment and Health in Neuherberg, Germany, says we can officially add traffic to our long list of heart attack triggers, such as stress, bad diet, lack of exercise, over-strenuous exercise, anger, anxiety …etc.

Annette Peters, team head, said "It seems difficult to avoid these exposures because transport is an important part of our daily lives." Researchers spoke to 691 heart attack survivors between Feb 1999 and July 2001. The volunteers were asked to try to identify what triggered their heart attacks. They were also asked how long they spent in traffic.

Their findings indicated that people who spent the longest in traffic had the highest risk of heart attack.

72% were in cars when in traffic. 8% had been in traffic just before their heart attack.

The highest risk people were women and all people over 60 (within an hour of being exposed to traffic).

The peak time for heart attacks as a result of traffic exposure was the morning rush hour. The morning rush hour tends to have more pollution and congestion than other peak times during the day - such as 5pm to 6pm and school pick up times.

Health experts are coming to realize that air pollution's main health side effect is cardiovascular.

One way of reducing your risk is to keep yourself healthy in the first place, say experts. Keep yourself fit, keep your blood pressure down, blood sugars normal, do not smoke, sleep well and eat carefully.

Experts were surprised that cyclist are also at risk within an hour of being exposed to traffic.