Exposure to wildfire smoke affects the body’s respiratory and cardiovascular systems almost immediately, according to new research from the University of British Columbia’s School of Population and Public Health.
Exposure to wildfire smoke affects the body’s respiratory and cardiovascular systems almost immediately, according to new research from the University of British Columbia’s School of Population and Public Health.
In a study published today in Environmental Health Perspectives, researchers found that exposure to elevated levels of fine particulate matter during wildfire seasons in British Columbia was associated with increased odds of ambulance dispatches related to respiratory and cardiovascular conditions, with increased ambulance dispatches occurring within only one hour after exposure. Among people with diabetes, the researchers found that the odds of health complications increased within 48 hours following exposure to wildfire smoke.
“We have long known about the harmful health effects of wildfire smoke,” says Jiayun Angela Yao, the study’s lead author who conducted this research while completing her PhD in the UBC School of Population and Public Health. “But it’s alarming to see just how quickly fine particular matter seems to affect the respiratory and cardiovascular system. And the acute effects for people with diabetes is relatively new to us.”
Read more at The University of British Columbia
Image Credit: Dave Hoefler
