Long-term exposure to PM with diameter \u22642.5 \u00b5m, PM with diameter \u226410 \u00b5m, and NO2<\/sub> linked to systolic BP values<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n <\/b><\/p>\n <\/b><\/p>\n WEDNESDAY, May 5, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Among children and adolescents, short- and long-term exposure to some ambient air pollutants may increase blood pressure, according to a systematic review and meta-analysis published online May 4 in the Journal of the American Heart Association<\/em>.<\/p>\n Miao Huang, M.D., from the Third Xiangya Hospital in Changsha, China, and colleagues examined the association between short- and long-term ambient air pollutant exposure and BP values among children and adolescents in a systematic review and meta-analysis. Fourteen articles were included in the meta-analysis.<\/p>\n The researchers observed a significant association between short-term exposure to particulate matter (PM) with diameter \u00e2\u0089\u00a410 \u00c2\u00b5m and elevated systolic BP values ( \u009f = 0.267). Long-term exposure to PM with diameter \u00e2\u0089\u00a42.5 \u00c2\u00b5m, PM with diameter \u00e2\u0089\u00a410 \u00c2\u00b5m, and nitrogen dioxide was associated with systolic BP values ( \u009f = 1.809, 0.526, and 0.754, respectively); long-term exposure to PM with diameter \u00e2\u0089\u00a42.5 \u00c2\u00b5m and PM with diameter \u00e2\u0089\u00a410 \u00c2\u00b5m was associated with diastolic BP values ( \u009f = 0.931 and 0.378, respectively).<\/p>\n “To reduce the impact of environmental pollution on blood pressure in children and adolescents, efforts should be made to reduce their exposure to environmental pollutants,” a coauthor said in a statement. “Additionally, it is also very important to routinely measure blood pressure in children and adolescents, which can help us identify individuals with elevated blood pressure early.”<\/p>\n