On a recent episode of PeerPOV: The Pulse on Medicine, Stacey Alexeeff, PhD, and Jamal Rana, MD, discussed how wildfires impact people with cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and how clinicians can help vulnerable patients stay prepared.
Dr. Rana: Of all the side effects of air pollution, CVD is the number one killer, according to Global Burden of Disease consortium data.
I tell patients that high pollution days can cause in ammation in the heart, more clotting, and endothelial dysfunction. All those things can trigger a heart attack or have delayed risk effects on your arteries, so if you have preexisting disease, you must be extra diligent about taking your cardiac medications.
Dr. Alexeeff: The air quality index goes from good to moderate to unhealthy for sensitive groups. That includes the entire population of patients with preexisting CVD. When air quality is bad, patients need to take protective actions such as limiting time outdoors, wearing an N95 mask outdoors, and running an air puri- fier at home. Having patients keep a lookout on weather apps, especially on wildfire days, is key.
Dr. Rana: What can we do once wildfire smoke is spreading everywhere? Healthcare systems can try to send a mass message to patients that there are fires. We can’t presume that everyone realizes the danger, especially when they are worried about so many other things.
Wildfires can be devastating psychologically. Studies have shown that smoke and stress can trigger a heart attack, arrhythmias, or irregular heartbeats, causing people to start having palpitations. People need to be aware that if they suddenly have shortness of breath, it could be acute heart failure, and they need to call 911 or seek care.
Dr. Alexeeff: We need more physicians to raise awareness about the health effects of air pollution and talk to patients about what they can do. We’re empowered by technology, so it is helpful to make patients aware that they can check their phone for the current air quality or the forecast for the next day.
Also, people don’t need to wait for the fire to happen. They can get an N95 mask and an air purifier today to be prepared for the next wildfire, the same way we prepare for other emergencies.
