Heart failure and cardiac arrest

More deaths caused by heart failure and cardiac arrest

Exposure to particulate matter can lead to heart attacks – but the risk is even higher if the particulate matter comes from wood burning and not from other sources.

One of the oldest and most prestigious medical journals in the world, the Lancet, published a study showing that there is a strong and consistent link between short-term exposure to particulate matter in the air and deaths from heart failure 

Even a small increase in particulate matter levels is associated with sudden cardiac arrest.

For patients already suffering from heart failure, the risk of death also increases.

Another study shows that the higher the particle pollution from wood burning, the higher the risk of heart attack in senior citizens.

Scott Weichenthal, professor at McGill University and lead author of the study:

“We found that the association was stronger when more of the air pollution came from wood burning. This suggests that the source of pollution matters and that particulate air pollution may not be equally harmful when it comes to cardiovascular disease” study

Wood smoke also stiffens the arteries and reduces heart rate variability. Reduced heart rate variability is associated with sudden cardiac death.

“The risk of acute myocardial infarction for older people living in and around small towns is increased by air pollution caused by biomass burning in wood stoves.”

McGill University press release, February 27, 2017.

A study conducted in Germany on components of air pollution and symptoms in heart attack survivors found that compounds from wood burning are particularly harmful study