The EPA Aging Initiative, developed to help protect the health of aging adults through public awareness and education, has created a fact sheet called "Environmental Hazards Weigh Heavy on the Heart," which describes the common environmental hazards that we face every day, how they contribute to heart disease and stroke, and what we can do to reduce exposure to these environmental hazards.
Highlights of the EPA Heart Disease and Stroke Report
- According to the EPA, studies suggest that older adults spend up to 90% of their time indoors, which makes them more susceptible to the effects of indoor air pollution.
Indoor air includes a mixture of contaminants, some coming in from the outdoors. Indoor air can contain secondhand smoke, fumes from household cleaning products, and even carbon monoxide. These indoor contaminants can be dangerously toxic, especially to those at risk of heart disease and stroke.
- The EPA calls secondhand smoke one of the worst indoor air pollutants. Whether you smoke the cigarette or inhale the secondhand smoke, the results are equally detrimental.
- Wood burning stoves and fireplaces can release fine carbon particles into the air, which can trigger chest pain, palpitations, shortness of breath, and fatigue. Older adults with heart disease are at special risk from breathing wood smoke.
- When used improperly, household products can
be very dangerous for people with heart
disease. The EPA says that vapors from cleaning products,
paint solvents, and pesticides increase stress on the lungs and heart, which contributes to irregular heartbeats. If you use these products, make sure you follow manufacturer directions and use the products only in well-ventilated areas. If you have heart disease or
pulmonary disease, check with your doctor before you use household chemicals.
Take precautions when renovating older buildings, which may contain lead-based paint.
- Pesticide poisonings often result from exposure to toxic fumigants or insecticides. The EPA says that symptoms of pesticide poisoning include arrhythmia or a very slow pulse. In severe cases, exposure can contribute to a heart attack or death.
- Carbon monoxide (CO), an invisible and odorless gas,
is a dangerous pollutant because it is difficult to detect. The EPA reports that CO is particularly harmful to people with heart disease, clogged arteries, or congestive heart failure because CO significantly limits the blood’s ability to carry oxygen. For a person with heart disease, even a low level of CO exposure can cause chest pain.
The EPA list of sources of CO includes fumes from furnaces, gas water heaters, stoves and dryers, space heaters, water heaters, wood stoves, and exhaust from cars that idle in closed garages.
Sources of outdoor pollution include:
- Particle pollution in the air from soot generated by vehicles, power plants and fires cause the greatest risk for people who have heart disease.
- Traffic increases the risk of heart disease or stroke, either because of stress or traffic-related air pollution.
- Pollutant gasses including ozone, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide, found in polluted air, contribute to breathing difficulty and heart disease.
- Drinking water can contain metals, including lead and arsenic. The risk is particularly high if you use a private well or small water system that is not tested.
In addition, heat stress during hot weather is a special risk for people with heart disease and stroke.
To learn how you can reduce your exposure to the pollutants that contribute to heart attack and stroke, see page 2, Reduce Your Risk of Heart Disease and Stroke from Environmental Hazards.
