Stronger associations were seen for longer windows of exposure<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter<\/b>
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THURSDAY, Feb. 5, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Exposure to wildfire smoke fine particulate matter (PM2.5<\/sub>) is associated with an increased risk for incident stroke among older adults, according to a study published online Jan. 27 in the European Heart Journal<\/em>.<\/p>\n Hua Hao, Ph.D., from the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University in Atlanta, and colleagues examined the association between long-term wildfire smoke PM2.5 <\/sub>exposure and incident stroke among older U.S. adults (65 years and older) in a national open cohort study. Hazard ratios were estimated per 1 \u00b5g\/m3<\/sup> increase in wildfire smoke PM2.5<\/sub>, adjusting for nonsmoke PM2.5<\/sub>, meteorologic variables, socioeconomic status, and health care capacity.<\/p>\n There were about 2.9 million incident stroke cases among about 25 million beneficiaries. The researchers found a significant association for long-term wildfire smoke PM2.5<\/sub> exposure with increased stroke risk. The associations were stronger for longer exposure windows; for example, there was a 1.3 percent increase in stroke risk per 1 \u00b5g\/m3<\/sup> increase in three-year average wildfire smoke PM2.5<\/sub> (hazard ratio, 1.013). Per unit exposure, associations for wildfire smoke PM2.5<\/sub> were generally stronger than for nonsmoke PM2.5<\/sub>.<\/p>\n “For people living in fire-prone areas, it is important to understand that wildfire smoke is not only an immediate breathing hazard, it may also raise long-term stroke risk,” lead author Yang Liu, Ph.D., also from the Rollins School of Public Health, said in a statement. “Preventative behaviors, like turning on indoor air filtration and limiting outdoor exertion on heavy smoke days, are not just about comfort, they may help prevent a stroke.”<\/p>\n