A retrospective study involving 694 adults in Ontario, Canada, revealed that long-term exposure to ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) correlates with increased myocardial fibrosis, affecting both patients with dilated cardiomyopathy and individuals with no cardiac abnormalities. Each 1 µg/m³ rise in PM2.5 linked to measurable changes in cardiac MRI metrics. Women, hypertensive individuals, and smokers showed larger effect sizes. This research, led by Dr. Jacques Du Plessis from the University of Toronto, underscores the potential of PM2.5 as a risk factor for cardiovascular conditions even at levels deemed safe.

Source: Radiology