Air pollution is significantly weakening our hearts, major new study finds

The hearts of people who live in polluted areas are weaker than those who regularly breathe cleaner air, according to a new study which adds to the growing volume of evidence that fossil fuels are killing us.

The researchers said they found evidence of harmful effects even when levels of pollution associated with diesel vehicles were less than half the safety limit set by the European Union.

This showed the current permissible levels of air pollution were “not safe and should be lowered”, a cardiologist involved in the study said. When walking on the pavement, people should stay as far away from the kerb as possible to reduce expose to exhaust fumes.

According to a recent report by the World Health Organisation, the mortality rate attributed to air pollution in the UK is 25.7 per 100,000 people, compared to just 0.4 per 100,000 in Sweden and 14.7 per 100,000 in Spain.

According to a government estimate, about 40,000 people die prematurely because of the air they breathe.


https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/air-pollution-heart-disease-weak-pm-25-particulates-diesel-cars-fossil-fuels-a7756101.html

Well that's a given really.