Air pollution increases autoimmune and chronic diseases
New research reveals
The link between air pollution and autoimmune diseases just became clearer thanks to a massive study that looked at the health records of 6 million Canadians. Research has found that long-term exposure to air pollutants is associated with an increased risk of lupus, Sjogren’s syndrome, scleroderma and other autoimmune diseases, which are often overshadowed by others such as rheumatoid arthritis, type 1 diabetes and multiple sclerosis which are more common. Autoimmunity is currently on the rise worldwide, with approximately 80 diseases affecting millions of people worldwide.
In recent years, the attention we pay to the role of environmental factors helps us to explain the development of these diseases.
In autoimmune diseases, the immune system attacks healthy cells, skin, organs, nervous system, joints or connective tissues depending on the disease. Exactly how air pollution is fueling this flare-up is still unclear. But scientists believe that inhaling pollutants over time leads to inflammation throughout the body, which can trigger a wrong reaction from the immune system.
The research calculated exposure to pollutants by zip code of the participants and found a positive relationship between autoimmunity and particulate matter 2.5 micrometers (PM2.5) linked to heart disease and chronic respiratory disease.
Another study, published in PLOS Global Public Health , shows that poor air quality increases the risk of developing two or more chronic diseases. Analysis of 19,000 adults over four years, and combined with satellite data on PM2.5 particle levels in 125 cities in China over 15 years, shows that older adults aged 45 and over have greater concentrated exposure to the particles, increasing the chances develop conditions such as high blood pressure and lung disease.
