Respirator mask reduces effects of pollution on the heart

I sometimes see people jogging for exercise beside busy highways. Recently, I saw a woman pushing a baby carriage while jogging beside a busy highway. And I have several times seen people waiting in a car with the engine running, waiting for someone shopping at a health food store. It is sad to see people who are trying to take care of their health unknowingly hurting themselves.

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-04/fda-rmr040616.php

Public Release: 6-Apr-2016
Respirator mask reduces effects of pollution on the heart
Study suggests wearing anti-pollution filter masks can lessen the impact of vehicle emissions on people with heart failure and reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease
Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

The use of a respiratory filter mask, a common practice in China and Japan, among other countries, helps minimize the impact of pollution on people with heart failure during rush-hour traffic in cities such as São Paulo, Brazil.

For healthy people, wearing this type of anti-pollution mask can also reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

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The air pollution caused by city traffic has recently begun to be considered a risk factor for coronary heart disease and adverse cardiovascular events such as stroke and acute myocardial infarction, according to Bocchi. The toxic particles expelled by motor vehicles easily penetrate the airways.

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According to the researchers, the results of the study suggest that wearing a respirator mask is especially beneficial for people with heart failure and who are repeatedly exposed to air pollution from motor vehicles, such as bus, truck and taxi drivers, traffic wardens, police, and filing station attendants.

In addition to these groups, however, wearing a mask can also benefit people without heart failure by protecting them against endothelial dysfunction, considered a risk factor for coronary heart disease.