Deadly heart attack risk DOUBLE during heatwaves
SOARING temps and CHOKING air quality could put your heart in the crosshairs
Summer came ROARING in like a lion this year…
And something tells me, it’s not going to go out like a lamb.
Seems like the whole country has been suffering through STIFLING heat for months already…
And then there’s the plot twist most folks didn’t have on their 2023 Bingo card.
Wildfire smoke from Canada!
It was a rude awakening for folks who aren’t used to those billowing, black clouds that leave you CHOKING for air…
And, combined with the haze of the summer heat, make it look and FEEL like you’re living on another planet.
You’re right to worry about your respiratory health in those types of conditions…
But there’s another risk you need to know about.
I’m talking about your heart health.
Specifically, researchers have found that extreme heat… combined with air pollution… could DOUBLE your risk for heart attack.
This latest study comes out of China – and boy, do they know about bad air quality. (I mean, have you ever SEEN photos of Beijing? You can’t see a thing!)
Turns out, the same tiny particles that wind up in the air we breathe from car exhaust… factory fumes… and other industrial sources (like those found in China) are ALSO what make wildfire smoke so dangerous.
They’re called PM 2.5 – short for “particulate matter” that’s the miniscule size of 2.5 micrometers or less.
These particles are SO itty bitty… when you breathe them in, they can wind up in your bloodstream.
Once they’re COURSING throughout your body, they can WREAK HAVOC…
Setting off a domino effect of oxidative stress and inflammation that can DAMAGE your blood vessels… and even your heart…
Possibly leading to a heart attack.
It’s even WORSE when it’s hot out… because your blood vessels DILATE to try to cool your body off…
And that leaves the door WIDE OPEN for PM 2.5 to move about freely.
Most vulnerable to heart attacks arising from the combined effects of extreme heat and air pollution are women… and, no surprise here, older folks.
Now, the “hot” days in the study weren’t of the triple-digit variety – and depending on where you live, you might not think they were all that hot.
In the study, a two-day heatwave of temps between 82.6 and 97.9 degrees Fahrenheit increased cardiovascular death by 18%.
The low end of that range is BELOW average for summer in Texas… South Florida… Georgia… and more!
Friend, I know you want to stay independent and active…
But even if the weather doesn’t seem very SEVERE… take precautions to keep yourself cool, like staying inside in the A/C during peak temperatures.
That’s not all…
Because PM 2.5 can be pretty nasty stuff (and not smell very good). One way to keep it at bay is to wear a protective mask, like an N95. (That’s why factory workers use them!)
But we’re all sick and tired of masks by now… and strapping one of those sweaty things onto your face is the LAST thing you want to do when it’s hot out.
So, wait for the smoke to clear… and while you’re inside, keep the windows closed and make sure your HEPA filter-outfitted air purifier is running on full blast.
In pursuit of the truth,
Dr. Marc Micozzi M.D., Ph.D.