Air Pollution-Linked Heart Diseases May Kill 160,000 by 2030 in UK

Air Pollution-Linked Heart Diseases May Kill 160,000 by 2030 in UK

The British Heart Foundation called it a ‘public health emergency’.

The associations between air pollution and a host of health problems such as lung, heart and brain disorders, make it one of the biggest threats that the world faces today.

Adding to the bulk of research on these links, a study by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) found that, “Heart and circulatory disease deaths attributed to particulate matter air pollution could exceed 160,000 over the next decade in the UK.”

BHF report“This is equivalent to over 40 heart and circulatory disease deaths related to air pollution each day.”

Also Read: Interactive: Air Pollution Is Affecting Every Part of Your Body

According to a report in the Guardian, the BHF said that at present, there are an estimated 11000 deaths per year, but this will rise as the population ages. The charity has asked the UK government to adopt World Health Organisation guidelines on air pollution and meet them by 2030.

This follows a 2019 study by the Department for Environment and Rural Affairs that concluded that it was ‘technically feasible’ to meet the WHO guidelines in most areas of the UK by the next decade.

The executive director of healthcare innovation at the BHF, Jacob West, said,

Jacob West“Every day, millions of us across the country are inhaling toxic particles which enter our blood and get stuck in our organs, raising our risk of heart attacks and stroke. Make no mistake, our toxic air is a public health emergency, and we haven’t done enough to tackle this threat to our society.”

Also Read: What Is Air Pollution Doing to Our Brains?