zm.org.pl

Why cycling to work is one of the biggest causes of heart attacks

As any city cyclist will know, riding your bike in heavy traffic can be, metaphorically speaking, a heartstopping experience.

But now research has found that it is literally one of the biggest triggers of heart attacks.

In a new sliding scale of everyday risks that prove the ‘final straw’ in bringing on a heart attack, spending time in traffic – as a driver, cyclist or commuter – tops the list because of factors including stress and exposure to pollution.

But of these, cyclists are in greatest danger because they are more heavily exposed to pollution and are subjecting themselves to another major heart attack trigger, exercise.

The study, which analysed 36 pieces of research, is the first time the ‘final straw’ risk factors for triggering heart attacks – rather than underlying causes of heart disease – have been quantified.

While some factors overlap, they were ranked by scientists in The Lancet medical journal online, after the proportion of total heart attacks caused by different triggers was calculated.

Traffic exposure was blamed for 7.4 per cent of heart attacks, followed by physical exertion with 6.2 per cent.

Overall air pollution triggered between 5 per cent and 7 per cent of heart attacks, while drinking alcohol or coffee accounted for 5 per cent.

Other risk factors included negative emotions (3.9 per cent), anger (3.1 per cent), eating a heavy meal (2.7 per cent), positive emotions (2.4 per cent) and x activity (2.2 per cent). Cocaine was to blame for 0.9 per cent of heart attacks, but this was because of limited exposure to the drug among the population.

On an individual basis, taking cocaine was shown to raise a person’s risk of having a heart attack 23-fold, according to the study, led by Dr Tim Nawrot, from Hasselt University in Belgium.

In comparison, air pollution led to a 5 per cent extra risk, but since far more people are exposed to traffic fumes and factory emissions than cocaine, air quality is a far more important population-wide threat.

Professor David Spiegelhalter, a risk expert from Cambridge University, said it was difficult to ‘disentangle’ the risk factors in the study for certain situations, such as driving or cycling to work in heavy traffic.

‘A lot of other factors are contributing to the overall risk; air pollution, stress, physical exertion, even anger which is another well-known trigger for a heart attack. It’s a complex mix,’ he added.

Judy O’Sullivan, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, said the benefits of exercising outdoors outweighed the risks from air pollution for most individuals, and urged people not to be put off running, walking or cycling in towns and cities.

Dr Tim Chico, honorary consultant cardiologist at the University of Sheffield, said: ‘We know a lot about why people suffer heart attacks (for example smoking, high cholesterol, obesity) but not much about why they occur on a particular day and time.’

But he stressed: ‘The foundations of heart disease are laid down over many years.

‘If someone wants to avoid a heart attack they should focus on not smoking, exercising, eating a healthy diet and maintaining their ideal weight.’

(...)Przedtem rozszerzanie diety zalecane było po 4 miesiącu życia. Pikanterii wniosków wysnutych przez lekarzy dodaje fakt, że troje z czwórki przygotowującej raport w ostatnich latach było konsultantami lub/i otrzymywało fundusze od producentów żywności dla niemowląt. (!)
Czyżby raport powstał z uwagi na spadek dochodów lobby producentów żywności dla niemowląt, czy faktycznie jego powstanie było wynikiem żmudnych badań o szkodliwości rozszerzania diety po 6 miesiącu?

Cyclists reading the Daily Mail website yesterday were confronted by the headline: Why cycling to work is one of the biggest causes of heart attacks. The claim stemmed from a report analysing 36 separate scientific studies into what triggers heart attacks. Top of the combined list were exposure to traffic and physical exertion.

The Daily Mail's headline would be enough to put many off cycling. But is it correct to say we should avoid riding to work in order to keep our hearts healthy?

Prof Tim Nawrot, one of the authors of the report from Hasselt University in Belgium, thinks not.

"You can't conclude that from our analysis. The title was wrongly worded.
"I don't agree that cycling is not good for you. Physical activity is a very good way to prevent chronic diseases."

So, clearly, somewhere there has been confusion. Nawrot explained that the study was about the final triggers of heart attacks. Generally speaking, these people are already well down the path that leads to a heart attack. The long-term causes of heart attacks are different to the triggers and risk factors include obesity, smoking, alcohol, age and family history. Physical exertion and exposure to traffic can only trigger a problem that's already there.

And to highlight cycling is also inaccurate – the report listed "exposure to traffic" as a risk factor, which includes sitting in a car.

Nawrot said: "If you have two roads to work, then the road with less traffic is best to cycle on. But it should not prevent you from cycling,.

"It's the other way around – if everyone cycled the air would be cleaner.'

Nawrot even enjoys cycling himself, which pretty much says it all. Judy O'Sullivan, a senior cardiac nurse at British Heart Foundation, said:

"Air pollution and traffic fumes can make existing heart conditions worse. But if your heart is healthy, there's far more to be gained from cycling or from any other form of outdoor aerobic exercise than sitting at home with the windows closed."

So, enjoy the ride to work. It improves your health and reduces air pollution – which improves everyone else's health, too.

O, i już "Guardian" wyjaśnia, że "Daily Fail" kłamie, autorzy wzmiankowanych badań nie chodzą na smyczy koncernów i wręcz zalecają jazdę rowerem

Ale g**** już wpadło w wentylator, czego najlepszym dowodem jest, że powtórzyły to polskie gazety i serwisy internetowe.

Znając życie, pewnie nawet artykuł z The Onion i Weekly World News by wzięli za źródło bez szemrania.