Air pollution is associated with significant health risks across all age groups. In a further concerning discovery, researchers have revealed that prolonged exposure to fine particulate air pollutants (PM2.5) could elevate the risk of hospitalizations due to cardiovascular diseases among older adults.
A U.S. study led by researchers from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health revealed that when the chronic exposure to PM2.5 was between 7 and 8 micrograms per cubic meter (μg/m3) -the current national average level - the average risk of hospitalization for cardiovascular disease in seniors was 3.04% each year. By lowering annual average PM2.5 levels from 7-8 μg/m3 to below 5 μg/, the overall cardiovascular hospitalizations could be reduced by 15%.
