Polly Billington

---

Higher air pollution in the UK cause hundreds of heart attacks, strokes, and acute asthma attacks, suggests each year, research.

A team at King's College London looked at data from London, Birmingham, Bristol, Derby, Liverpool, Manchester, Nottingham, Oxford and Southampton.

they calculated days with above-average pollution would be an extra 124 cardiac arrests over the year.

Nhs England boss Simon Stevens said there was evidence of "a health emergency".

The figure is based on the ambulance call data and not heart attack count suffered by patients already in the hospital.

It points to significant short-term health risks caused by air pollution, above in Europe every year.

On days with high pollution levels, in The Nine cities in total, calculated that a total of 231 additional hospital admissions for stroke, with an extra 193 children and adults to the hospital for asthma treatment.

Dr. Heather Walton, King's College London Environmental Research Group, said that reducing air pollution policy has focused primarily on the impact associated with the Life Expectancy .

"However, health studies show a clear connection to a much wider range of health effects," she added.

The research suggests the problem is particularly acute in London

In London, a high-pollution days would be an extra 87 heart a extra-144 strokes every year, and 74 children and 33 adults land in the hospital with asthma problems.

In Birmingham, the figure would be increased by 12 more out-of-hospital cardiac fixed, 27 additional admissions for stroke, and 26 for asthma.

Bristol, Liverpool, Manchester, Nottingham, Oxford and Southampton would see between two and six more out-of-hospital heart attacks and up to 14 additional hospital admissions for both stroke and asthma.

Only in the Derby, there is no obvious increase.

'Avoidable deaths'

Under the long-term risks associated with high environmental pollution lung growth and low birth weight are stunted.

The King 's College research also, the cutting of the air pollution suggests a fifth of incidents of lung cancer between 5% and 7% in The Nine cities studied would fall.

Mr Stevens said: "It is clear that the climate is an emergency, in fact, a health emergency.

"Since these preventable deaths are Happening Now , not in 2025 or 2050 - Together , we must act Now . "

The figures were published Wednesday, the International Clean-Air summit hosted by the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan , and the UK100 network of local government.

UK100 director Polly Billington said: "the Local government needs the powers of additional and resources to tackle this crisis in health care. "

The Department for environment, food and Rural Affairs, said it was "a matter of priority, measures to improve air quality and tackle environmental pollution," and that the new legislation is the "increase of local forces to tackle the main sources of air pollution".

"We are already working hard to reduce the transport emissions and are investing £3. 5 billion for the pollution of our air. "

analysis of Robert Cuffe, BBC Head of statistics:

the researchers sometimes have to fight to get your stats to people.

This team, to abstract the "life years " are lost".

As you have seen things that can attacks hit closer to home such as heart attack or asthma, the hospitalise children.

using already published studies, you have worked as to be expected, many of these events, that on days with above-average pollution.

The numbers also are not your socks off: in London, for every 100 Cardiac Arrest , ambulances descriptions on low-pollution days, you would expect to see 102 on high-pollution days.

But the numbers add up and strengthen the arguments for a further reduction of air pollution.

uk air pollution, air pollution, oxford, bristol, derby, birmingham, southampton, liverpool, manchester, nottingham

Source of news: bbc.com