Short-term exposure to air pollution may increase the risk of stroke, according to a meta-analysis. Short-term risk was defined as occurring within five days after stroke. The study was published in the Medical Journal of the American Academy of Neurology
“Previous research has established an association between long-term exposure to air pollution and an increased risk of stroke,” said study author Ahmed Toubassi, MD, of the University of Jordan in Amman.
“However, the association between short-term exposure to air pollution and stroke was less clear. For our study, instead of looking at weeks or months of exposure, we looked at just five days and found an association between short-term exposure to air pollution and increased risk of stroke.