But experts say there are things you can do to protect yourself
May 01, 2023
The B.C. Centre for Disease Control is again warning British Columbians of the negative health impacts of wildfire smoke, in the wake of new external research that suggests air pollution can immediately increase risk of several heart problems.
For every 10 micrograms more of PM2.5 — the primary particle in B.C.’s wildfire smoke — in one metre cubed of air, a person’s combined odds of experiencing at least one of four heart issues was 5.5 per cent greater, a study published Monday in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) found.
The four types of arrhythmia studied are all significant risk factors for heart attacks and heart disease, the study notes, supporting decades of evidence that shows higher rates of cancer, chronic disease and premature death in communities that live with poor air quality.
The findings highlight the urgency of limiting even short-term exposures to wildfire smoke amid smoke-related rises in heart attacks and respiratory issues researchers and health care workers are already observing in B.C., said one BCCDC expert.
Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/air-pollution-wildfire-smoke-study-1.6827067