Rather drive in the city than take public transportation? Other than preparing for some delays because of the possibility of traffic, you should also be prepared in case of a heart attack.Previously, I wrote about some studies and the link of stress and anger to heart attacks. In addition, there has been many studies that have linked increased heart attack risk in those who live in high polluted areas. Combined, being stressed in a high polluted area increases the chances of an occurrence of a heart attack by 3.2 times.
German researchers have studied more than 1,400 heart attack cases and analyzed their environmental factors before the heart attack occurred. They concluded that many of their heart attacks were triggered by being stuck in traffic about one to six hours prior to having the attack. The heart attacks were likely to have been triggered more by the presence of toxic fumes than the level of stress experience. They currently are further studying these factors to narrow and specify the study further.
Other than being exposed to pollution and stress, other factors come into play in the increase risk of having a heart attack. These include lack of exercise, unhealthy diets, age, smoking, and history of heart disease.
Living in New York City, I try to avoid driving because of heavy traffic and the amount of time it takes me to find a parking spot. However, the times that I do drive I can say, it is fairly easy to get stressed and be exposed to the exhaustion of fumes from cars, especially during rush hours. I have seen mismanaged cars during traffic jams expose the air with filthy fumes. Breathing in this unfiltered gas can certainly cause some damage to the lungs in addition to the heart. This study can shed some light to those who are exposed to these factors and can help prevent some unforeseen consequences to an everyday activity.
Here are some additional tips by the American Heart Association on managing stress.
This post is very interesting because as a person that gets pissed off a lot, i should taket this into account and start lving a much stress free life. In addition, the case of the German Researchers really shocked me, however, living in New York i don't see the point of a car!!
ReplyDeleteThis is a great post, and its very interesting. The fact that traffic causes stress is a fact, but a heart attack......wow This is very disturbing information, and should be looked into seriously. Perhaps people can use public transportation, or even car pool, to reduce the stress of traffic. These options also can help our enviornment which is what my blog is about. Again thanks for the info i am looking forward to more from you in the future
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