Air pollution is linked to increased risk of developing an irregular heartbeat and blood clots in the lung, but researchers say the impact of air pollution on the risk of heart attack and stroke is less clear. [s]BBC News[/s] reports that a team at the [b]London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine[/b] analysed data collected in England and Wales between 2003 and 2009 on links between cardiovascular problems and short-term air pollution. They found short-term air pollution was linked to arrhythmia (abnormal heart rhythm) and blood clots in the lung. The strongest link was in the over-75s and in women, lead researcher Dr Ai Milojevic said.
[link url=http://www.bbc.com/news/health-27695106]Full BBC News report[/link]
[link url=http://heart.bmj.com/content/early/2014/04/10/heartjnl-2013-304963.abstract?sid=d4c50e09-969b-4441-bf50-26604ee342bd]Heart BMJ abstract[/link]