Air pollution has been shown to worsen migraine headaches. Connection between pollution and risk of heart attacks has also been established. A recent study showed that even low levels of particulate matter can increase the risk of a stroke. Doctors looked at 1,705 patients who were admitted to the hospital with an acute stroke and checked pollution records on the days these strokes occurred. They found that strokes were more common within 12 hours of the rise in the level of pollution. The correlation was linear – the higher the pollution, the higher the risk of stroke. The risk of stroke was elevated even at pollution levels considered “satisfactory”.
