Study: Ozone hikes cardiovascular risk

A new study is showing links between ozone inhalation and potential heart problems in highly populated areas.

The study in the June edition of Circulation shows disturbances in heart rhythm and inflammation among 23 healthy, young volunteers who inhaled high levels of ozone for a short period of time.

On separate days, the volunteers inhaled either clean air or air that contained 0.3 parts per million of ozone — four times the U.S. federal limit. Such high levels are found in Los Angeles and Houston and internationally in huge urban areas such as Mexico City and Beijing, according to ScienceNews .

The ozone exposure produced changes in the body’s clotting network that could produce dangerous clots for the elderly or people with heart disease or diabetes. Clots, in turn, can restrict blood flow to the point of rupturing a blood vessel or causing a heart attack.

Ozone exposure is less critical in cities such as Cincinnati, which are not as large or as densely populated as some other cities.