Air Pollution Linked to Chest Pain, Heart Attack Different by Seasons

Short-term increases in fine particulate air pollution (PM2.5) during both the summer and winter months in a region of Utah were linked with an increased risk of heart attack and unstable chest pain; however, these risks differed by season, according to preliminary findings presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2023.

DocWire News spoke with lead study author Benjamin D. Horne, Ph.D., M.P.H., FAHA, director of cardiovascular and genetic epidemiology for Intermountain Health at the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute in Salt Lake City, Utah. Dr. Horne detailed the study findings, which demonstrated that health care providers should be aware of the increased risk of chest pain brought on by environmental causes such as wildfire smoke, and offered advice to the general public on how to mitigate the risk of PM2.5 exposure.