A Chinese couple looks at part of the Forbidden City under a polluted sky in Beijing. Air pollution exposure may increase the risk for anxiety, depression and other mental health problems, according to a new study of people in China.
File photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI | License Photo
Nov. 8 (UPI) -- Exposure to high levels of air pollution increases a person's risk for depression and adversely affects problem-solving and other brain functions, a study published Monday by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found.
The analysis of 352 healthy adults living in Beijing, China, a city with significant air pollution, found that those exposed to large amounts of particulate matter, or PM2.5, exhibited more symptoms of depression.
Study participants exposed to PM2.5, which are microscopic dust particles and other pollutants, also reported more difficulties with problem-solving and other mental tasks, the data showed.
In addition, magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, screenings of the study participants revealed that those exposed to high levels of PM2.5 showed evidence of disruption in activity in 22 brain regions, including those involved in thinking and memory, the researchers said.
"Air pollution not only affects heart and lung health, it can directly affect the operation of genes in the brain that control thinking and emotional functions that can lead to brain disorders like depression," study co-author Dr. Hao Yang Tan told UPI in an email.
"The nuance of this is that while any air pollution is bad, for people with genetic risk for depression, the effects on brain function and ultimately risk for depressive illness are much worse," said Tan, lead investigator at the Lieber Institute for Brain Development at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.
About 90% of the global population lives in regions with air pollution levels above the thresholds for human health established by the World Health Organization, the international agency estimates.
RELATED Poor air quality in offices impacts worker productivity, study finds
Fine particulate matter such as PM2.5 has been linked with up to 4 million early deaths worldwide annually and has been described as "the greatest threat to human health."
Although most of the health complications related to air pollution are associated with the heart and lungs, there is evidence that it can also affect mental health, with a study published earlier this year suggesting that worker productivity is impacted in offices with poor air quality.
For this study, Tan and his colleagues assessed 352 otherwise healthy adults living in Beijing for symptoms of depression using standard diagnostic criteria.
RELATED Particulate pollution the 'world's greatest threat to human health,' study finds
Study participants also answered questionnaires on mental health and brain function throughout the course of the study.
In addition, they also underwent genetic testing to establish their risk for depression based on family history, according to the researchers.
The researchers estimated each participant's PM2.5 exposure in the six months immediately before the study using data from the nearest air monitoring station to their residential address.
Participants were also asked to solve several mathematical problems while being timed and undergoing functional MRI scanning, which measures brain activity during the performance of certain tasks.
Study participants living in areas with higher PM2.5 levels based on monitoring station data had more symptoms of depression and showed greater evidence of compromised brain performance on functional MRI, according to the researchers.
Those with a family history of depression, based on genetic data, who were also exposed to high levels of PM2.5 were at higher risk for the disorder compared with those without a genetic history, the data showed.
"These findings are likely the tip of the iceberg in terms of the genes and brain functions involved," Tan said.
"While we focus on depression, it is likely other related disorders from ADHD, to anxiety disorders, to perhaps even psychosis and dementia," he said.
Nov. 8 (UPI) -- Exposure to high levels of air pollution increases a person's risk for depression and adversely affects problem-solving and other brain functions, a study published Monday by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found.
The analysis of 352 healthy adults living in Beijing, China, a city with significant air pollution, found that those exposed to large amounts of particulate matter, or PM2.5, exhibited more symptoms of depression.
Study participants exposed to PM2.5, which are microscopic dust particles and other pollutants, also reported more difficulties with problem-solving and other mental tasks, the data showed.
In addition, magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, screenings of the study participants revealed that those exposed to high levels of PM2.5 showed evidence of disruption in activity in 22 brain regions, including those involved in thinking and memory, the researchers said.
"Air pollution not only affects heart and lung health, it can directly affect the operation of genes in the brain that control thinking and emotional functions that can lead to brain disorders like depression," study co-author Dr. Hao Yang Tan told UPI in an email.
"The nuance of this is that while any air pollution is bad, for people with genetic risk for depression, the effects on brain function and ultimately risk for depressive illness are much worse," said Tan, lead investigator at the Lieber Institute for Brain Development at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.
About 90% of the global population lives in regions with air pollution levels above the thresholds for human health established by the World Health Organization, the international agency estimates.
RELATED Poor air quality in offices impacts worker productivity, study finds
Fine particulate matter such as PM2.5 has been linked with up to 4 million early deaths worldwide annually and has been described as "the greatest threat to human health."
Although most of the health complications related to air pollution are associated with the heart and lungs, there is evidence that it can also affect mental health, with a study published earlier this year suggesting that worker productivity is impacted in offices with poor air quality.
For this study, Tan and his colleagues assessed 352 otherwise healthy adults living in Beijing for symptoms of depression using standard diagnostic criteria.
RELATED Particulate pollution the 'world's greatest threat to human health,' study finds
Study participants also answered questionnaires on mental health and brain function throughout the course of the study.
In addition, they also underwent genetic testing to establish their risk for depression based on family history, according to the researchers.
The researchers estimated each participant's PM2.5 exposure in the six months immediately before the study using data from the nearest air monitoring station to their residential address.
Participants were also asked to solve several mathematical problems while being timed and undergoing functional MRI scanning, which measures brain activity during the performance of certain tasks.
Study participants living in areas with higher PM2.5 levels based on monitoring station data had more symptoms of depression and showed greater evidence of compromised brain performance on functional MRI, according to the researchers.
Those with a family history of depression, based on genetic data, who were also exposed to high levels of PM2.5 were at higher risk for the disorder compared with those without a genetic history, the data showed.
"These findings are likely the tip of the iceberg in terms of the genes and brain functions involved," Tan said.
"While we focus on depression, it is likely other related disorders from ADHD, to anxiety disorders, to perhaps even psychosis and dementia," he said.
Study: Heart attack rate down in U.S. as COVID-19 lockdowns cut air pollution
By Dennis Thompson, HealthDay News
Researchers say the number of heart attacks in the United States dropped as air pollution from driving declined because fewer people were driving as a result of COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020.
By Dennis Thompson, HealthDay News
Researchers say the number of heart attacks in the United States dropped as air pollution from driving declined because fewer people were driving as a result of COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020.
File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
Urban air cleared during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns as fewer commuters hit the road daily, and that might have resulted in one unexpected heart health benefit for Americans, a new study suggests.
Those reductions in air pollution appear to be linked to a decrease in heart attacks during the shutdowns, according to research slated for presentation Saturday at the American Heart Association's online annual meeting.
The number of heart attacks dropped by 6% for every 10 microgram-per-cubic-meter decline in fine particle pollution, researchers found.
"The main message from our research is that efforts to reduce ambient pollution can prevent the most severe form of heart attacks," said lead researcher Sidney Aung, a fourth-year medical student at the University of California-San Francisco.
"We hope that this would provide a greater impetus for increased public health efforts aimed at reducing air pollution," Aung said.
Prior research had found a reduction in fine particle pollution while people stayed home during lockdowns, Aung said.
There was about a 4.5% drop in fine particle pollution during the last two weeks of March 2020, compared to the same period in previous years, Aung said.
Such pollution dropped by more than 11% when looking at counties in states that instituted early closures of non-essential businesses.
To see how cleaner air might have improved health, Aung's team used federal data to compare the frequency of heart attacks with air quality in different regions of the United States.
It turned out there was a direct correlation. Nearly 61,000 heart attacks occurred from January through April 2020, and then the number of heart attacks declined as air grew cleaner in specific parts of the nation.
The tiny particles that make up fine particle pollution are truly minuscule, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Individual particles are 2.5 micrometers or smaller by comparison, a single hair from your head is 70 micrometers in diameter, or 30 times larger than the largest fine particle.
Studies have linked breathing in these tiny particles to increased inflammation, irregular heart rhythm and thicker blood, Aung said.
"These all represent ways that bad air could lead to more heart attacks, which is why we think improvements in air quality could lead to fewer heart attacks," Aung said.
A drop of 10 micrograms per cubic meter is not small potatoes, however. Aung noted that Los Angeles' average pollution level in 2018 was 12.7 micrograms per cubic meter.
"However, we want to reiterate that even a smaller decrease in particulate matter concentration and subsequently any reduction in heart attacks could be tremendously beneficial for public health," Aung said
The findings provide another powerful reason for pursuing clean energy technologies, said Dr. Joel Kaufman, chair of the American Heart Association's 2020 policy statement on air pollution.
"If these results hold up, it reinforces the benefits of air pollution reduction as a cost-effective way to improve health," said Kaufman, a professor of environmental and occupational health sciences, epidemiology and medicine at the University of Washington in Seattle.
"It also means that reducing fossil fuel combustion -- which we need to do anyway, to combat climate change -- might mean tremendous health benefits now, even if the climate benefits take a few years to accrue," Kaufman said.
Aung agreed, while adding that air quality is likely to deteriorate as more folks start commuting again.
"We believe that it is highly possible that air quality will return to usual higher levels as people shift towards resuming their normal pre-pandemic activities," Aung said. "We hope that our research will have implications for greater support of clean energy technologies to reduce air pollution levels."
As an observational analysis, the study does not prove cause and effect, only that there is a link between air quality and heart attack.
Findings presented at medical meetings are also considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.
More information
The Environmental Protection Agency has more about particle pollution.
Copyright © 2021 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Urban air cleared during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns as fewer commuters hit the road daily, and that might have resulted in one unexpected heart health benefit for Americans, a new study suggests.
Those reductions in air pollution appear to be linked to a decrease in heart attacks during the shutdowns, according to research slated for presentation Saturday at the American Heart Association's online annual meeting.
The number of heart attacks dropped by 6% for every 10 microgram-per-cubic-meter decline in fine particle pollution, researchers found.
"The main message from our research is that efforts to reduce ambient pollution can prevent the most severe form of heart attacks," said lead researcher Sidney Aung, a fourth-year medical student at the University of California-San Francisco.
"We hope that this would provide a greater impetus for increased public health efforts aimed at reducing air pollution," Aung said.
Prior research had found a reduction in fine particle pollution while people stayed home during lockdowns, Aung said.
There was about a 4.5% drop in fine particle pollution during the last two weeks of March 2020, compared to the same period in previous years, Aung said.
Such pollution dropped by more than 11% when looking at counties in states that instituted early closures of non-essential businesses.
To see how cleaner air might have improved health, Aung's team used federal data to compare the frequency of heart attacks with air quality in different regions of the United States.
It turned out there was a direct correlation. Nearly 61,000 heart attacks occurred from January through April 2020, and then the number of heart attacks declined as air grew cleaner in specific parts of the nation.
The tiny particles that make up fine particle pollution are truly minuscule, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Individual particles are 2.5 micrometers or smaller by comparison, a single hair from your head is 70 micrometers in diameter, or 30 times larger than the largest fine particle.
Studies have linked breathing in these tiny particles to increased inflammation, irregular heart rhythm and thicker blood, Aung said.
"These all represent ways that bad air could lead to more heart attacks, which is why we think improvements in air quality could lead to fewer heart attacks," Aung said.
A drop of 10 micrograms per cubic meter is not small potatoes, however. Aung noted that Los Angeles' average pollution level in 2018 was 12.7 micrograms per cubic meter.
"However, we want to reiterate that even a smaller decrease in particulate matter concentration and subsequently any reduction in heart attacks could be tremendously beneficial for public health," Aung said
The findings provide another powerful reason for pursuing clean energy technologies, said Dr. Joel Kaufman, chair of the American Heart Association's 2020 policy statement on air pollution.
"If these results hold up, it reinforces the benefits of air pollution reduction as a cost-effective way to improve health," said Kaufman, a professor of environmental and occupational health sciences, epidemiology and medicine at the University of Washington in Seattle.
"It also means that reducing fossil fuel combustion -- which we need to do anyway, to combat climate change -- might mean tremendous health benefits now, even if the climate benefits take a few years to accrue," Kaufman said.
Aung agreed, while adding that air quality is likely to deteriorate as more folks start commuting again.
"We believe that it is highly possible that air quality will return to usual higher levels as people shift towards resuming their normal pre-pandemic activities," Aung said. "We hope that our research will have implications for greater support of clean energy technologies to reduce air pollution levels."
As an observational analysis, the study does not prove cause and effect, only that there is a link between air quality and heart attack.
Findings presented at medical meetings are also considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.
More information
The Environmental Protection Agency has more about particle pollution.
Copyright © 2021 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
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