CLEVELAND — Did you know air pollution is the fourth leading cause of death in the world? That’s according to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation.
The World Health Organization estimates nearly seven million people die each year from illness caused by both indoor and outdoor air pollution. The major source of modern air pollution is caused by fossil fuel combustion, however environmental issues globally — such as volcanic ash and desert dust — can also cause problems.
One of the biggest concerns is related to wildfire air pollution. You may remember how the Canadian wildfires impacted our air quality last year, and all this pollution affects more than the lungs.
"The most important cause of death is cardiovascular — heart attacks, stroke," Dr. Sanjay Rajagopalan, chief of cardiovascular medicine at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center. "More than 50% of deaths worldwide [from] air pollution [are] because of cardiovascular conditions."
Rajagopalan just published a review in The Lancet that goes over several studies regarding the health impacts of air pollution. You can read it below:
"In North American you have somewhere between 100,000 and 200,000 people dying because of air pollution, and we think the air quality in Ohio is clean, but actually it isn’t," he explained. "Ohio ranks among the poorer states regarding air quality, and we have a number of health conditions that are made worse by air pollution."
Rajagopalan says air pollution can impact the lungs, heart, liver, brain, and adipose tissue. It may also trigger another common disease.
"According to the Global Burden of Disease, up to 20% of diabetes is caused by air pollution, and most of these are in countries where air pollution levels are high," he added. "But let's make no mistake about it: This is equally a problem in North America and Europe as it is in Asia, where levels are very high, and this is a completely modifiable risk factor. It's not something people should be dying of."
Surprisingly, air pollution can be worse in winter months, especially if you use a fireplace, wood burning stove, or like to warm up the car and let it idle. Indoor pollution needs ventilation to get out, so open windows occasionally.
If you have a risk factor such as diabetes, lung problems or heart disease, consider getting an air purifier for your home. On those days when the air pollution index is high, close the windows and turn on the AC in hotter months, if possible. If you really have a problem, consider wearing an N95 mask outdoors when the air is bad.