Pollution 'ups blood clot risk'
12 May 08
Source: BBC News
Breathing in air pollution from traffic fumes can raise the risk of potentially deadly blood clots, study says.
Exposure to small particulates - tiny chemicals caused by burning fossil fuels - is known to increase the chances of heart disease and stroke.
But the Harvard School of Public Health found it also affected development of deep vein thrombosis - blood clots in the legs - in a study of 2,000 people. Researchers said the pollution made the blood more sticky and likely to clot.
The team looked at people living in Italy - nearly 900 of whom developed DVT. Blood clots which form in the legs can travel to the lungs, where they can become lodged, triggering a potentially fatal pulmonary embolism.
