Wildfire smoke may harm the heart and lungs more than the same amount of pollution from traffic, industry, and other everyday sources, according to two large studies released this week by researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York.
The studies found that long-term exposure to fine particles from wildfires, known as PM2.5, was associated with higher risks of hospitalization for heart failure, asthma, pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and other conditions. A second analysis linked long-term smoke exposure with poorer survival among older adults with lung cancer.
