A new study reveals that vehicle emissions affect the levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, leading to hardening of arteries and increased risk of artery clogging.
The study will be released in the June’s issue of the the journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology, and it is conducted by a team of researchers from UCLA, University of Washington and other institutes.
Vehicle emissions are known to be the main source of pollution in urban areas. Scientists have studied their impact on human health for a while, however the link between these pollutants and atherosclerosis have not been particularly clear.
The team of researchers exposed mice to vehicle emissions and studied their response for two weeks. They found that the oxidative damage that was caused to the blood and the liver was not reversed even after exposing the animals to clean air for a whole week afterwords. The scientists found that the damage was due to an alteration in HDL cholesterol.
After conducting the experiment, the team was able to conclude that HDL cholesterol plays a crucial role in establishing the risk of heart and liver damage. The researchers are certain that in addition to monitoring levels of pollutants in the air, particular attention should also be paid at the HDL cholesterol.
