THURSDAY, June 1 (HealthDay News) -- Environmental ozone and carbon monoxide levels are associated with emergency department admissions for cerebrovascular disease, according to a study conducted in Taipei, Taiwan, and published in the May issue of the European Heart Journal.
Chang-Chuan Chan, Ph.D., of National Taiwan University, and colleagues compared the daily emergency admissions for cerebrovascular disease at a large metropolitan hospital in Taipei with the daily concentrations of carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, ozone, and particulate matters with a diameter of 2.5 and 10 microns from April 1997 to December 2002.
High ozone readings were associated with same-day admissions for cerebrovascular disease, while carbon monoxide and particulate matter levels were associated with admissions two and three days later, respectively. Carbon monoxide was also associated with two-day lagged admission for stroke.
"We conclude that urban air pollution can increase emergency admissions for cerebrovascular diseases among adults aged above 50 in Taipei," the authors write. "Among the measured air pollutants in Taipei, we conclude that carbon monoxide and ozone are stronger predictors of cerebrovascular admissions than other pollutants."
Abstract
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