Car pollution can 'increase the risk of a stroke' for pensioners

A new study has revealed that moderate levels of car pollution in the city can increase the risk of a stroke in pensioners by a third.

The study, which has been published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, found that the chances of women living in Boston, US, with an average age of 71 were 34 per cent more likely to have a stroke when pollution was 'moderate' than when it was 'good'.

Lead author Gregory Wellenius of the Centre for Environmental Health and Technology at Brown University, wrote: "These results suggest that particulate matter exposure increases the risk of ischemic stroke at levels below those currently considered safe under US regulations."

"The findings of this research go some way to support the belief that particles in air pollution could increase the risk of stroke for some people living in urban areas."

The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) recently released its 14th annual comprehensive environmental rankings, finding that the Mitsubishi i-MIEV battery electric vehicle was the most energy efficient.

Posted by Claire Manning