Is breathing smoggy air hardening your arteries? 呼吸霧霾會加快動脈硬化引發(fā)中風

導讀：近年來，國內(nèi)多地頻頻遭遇霧霾天氣襲擊，民生健康問題引擔憂。根據(jù)最新研究顯示，呼吸霧霾空氣可能會讓你的動脈硬化速度加快。

Breathing particulate-laden (aka smoggy) air may be hardening your arteries faster than normal, according to research published recently in PLOS Medicine. While everyones’ arteries harden gradually with age, a team of researchers led by epidemiologist Sara Adar of the University of Michigan School of Public Health discovered that higher concentrations of fine particulate air pollution were linked to a faster thickening of the inner two layers of the carotid artery.

根據(jù)近日發(fā)表在《公共科學圖書館•醫(yī)學》雜志上的研究，呼吸含大量顆粒物的(霧霾)空氣可能會讓你的動脈硬化速度加快。盡管每個人的動脈都會隨著年齡增大而逐漸硬化，但密歇根大學公共衛(wèi)生學院的流行病學家薩拉•阿達領(lǐng)導的研究團隊發(fā)現(xiàn)，空氣中的細微顆粒污染物濃度升高與頸動脈內(nèi)膜和中膜增厚加快有關(guān)。

Because the carotid artery feeds blood to the neck, head, and brain, a narrowing or blockage there can trigger strokes. And general atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, heart attack, and heart failure.

由于頸動脈要向頸部、頭部和大腦供血，頸動脈變窄或堵塞可能會引發(fā)中風。通常動脈硬化是冠心病、心臟病發(fā)作和心力衰竭的主要風險因素。

Past research has demonstrated that the rates of stroke and heart attack are higher in polluted areas, but experts haven’t been able to pinpoint just how polluted air is raising peoples’ risk for heart attack or stroke. This time, Adar’s team, along with Joel Kaufman, professor of environmental and occupational health sciences and medicine at the University of Washington, was able to directly measure carotid artery thickness and link it to air pollution data.

以往的研究已經(jīng)表明，在受污染地區(qū)中風和心臟病發(fā)作的幾率更高，但專家還未能查明空氣污染是如何提高人們心臟病或中風發(fā)作的風險的。這次阿達帶領(lǐng)的團隊和華盛頓大學環(huán)境與職業(yè)健康科學和醫(yī)學專業(yè)的教授喬爾•考夫曼聯(lián)手合作，已經(jīng)能夠直接測量頸動脈厚度，并將其和空氣污染數(shù)據(jù)聯(lián)系起來。

The study involved 5,362 people between the ages of 45 and 84 living in six different cities that are part of the MESA AIR (Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis and Air Pollution) research project, led by Joel Kaufman. Each participant underwent two carotid artery ultrasounds three years apart. These measurements were then correlated with data on fine particulate air pollution.

喬爾•考夫曼領(lǐng)導的這一動脈硬化和空氣污染多種族研究項目調(diào)查了居住在6個不同城市、年齡在45歲到84歲之間的5362個人。每個參與者隔三年都要做一次頸動脈超聲波檢查。研究人員把這些測量結(jié)果和細顆粒物空氣污染的數(shù)據(jù)聯(lián)系起來。

While the artery walls of all participants increased by 14 micrometers per year, the arteries of those who were exposed to higher levels of fine particulate air pollution in their homes thickened faster than their neighbors in other parts of the city.

盡管所有參與者的動脈壁每年都會增厚14微米，但那些家周邊空氣中細顆粒污染物水平更高的人動脈壁比住在同城其他地區(qū)的人增厚速度更快。

Interestingly, the researchers also found the reverse effect to be true: reducing fine particulate air pollution levels slowed down atherosclerosis progression. Carotid artery measurements are considered by experts to be an indicator for arterial plaque and hardening throughout the body.

有趣的是，研究人員還發(fā)現(xiàn)反之亦然：降低空氣中的細顆粒污染物水平會減慢動脈硬化的速度。專家認為頸動脈的測量數(shù)據(jù)是動脈斑塊和周身硬化的指示標志。