SALT LAKE CITY — It might not come as any surprise that air pollution from winter inversions and summer wildfires significantly increases inflammation in Utahns with heart disease.
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That insight comes from a timely new Intermountain Health study that is the topic of discussion as the northern part of the state is currently blanketed by muddy air.
“This was an interesting dichotomy, interesting difference, between people with heart failure and people who are free of heart disease,” said Dr. Benjamin Horne, the study's lead investigator. “They'll come into the hospital, and they will be admitted to the hospital more frequently on days or in the days following short-term elevations of air pollution, whereas people who are free of disease tend not to have that problem. “
Heart failure patients need to take extra precautions, such as staying indoors when exercising, during times when air pollution is high.
“When you're exercising, you're breathing in a lot more air,” Horne said. “You'll increase your exposure by concentrating those air pollutants.”
Luckily, during the winter, Utahns can escape the inversion by going up to higher altitudes. On the flip side, Horne said it's not so easy to find places to breathe better during the rest of the year.
“[Moving to higher elevations is] not something that will help because wildfire smoke doesn't necessarily just stay in the valley like the pollutants do during the symptoms of inversion,” the doctor added.
The best thing people can do is take medications to maintain stable health and make sure air filters at home and in vehicles are working well.
