Could Air Pollution Cause Dangerous Blood Clots?
Roz Roscoe It appears that smoggy air and toxic fumes may do just as much damage to your LEGS as to your lungs! New study findings suggest long-term exposure to tiny molecules in polluted air seems to increase the risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT). This causes blood clots in your thighs and legs that choke blood circulation—and put you at risk for a serious health disaster. Previous research investigated the link between heart attacks, strokes and air pollution. But according to a National Institutes of Health (NIH) statement this breakthrough research marks the first time anyone has connected air pollution with DVT. Dr. Andrea Baccarelli led the study while at the Harvard School of Public Health. He is now an assistant professor of environmental health at the University of Milan. Baccarelli’s team included scientists at the Milan Policlinico Hopsital and the University of Milan in Italy. The research was supported by NIH’s National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS),
