Smog as an Emerging Cardiovascular Risk Factor in Pakistan

Abstract

Seasonal smog has evolved into a recurring and serious public health challenge in Pakistan, particularly in Lahore and other urban centers of Punjab, where concentrations of fine particulate matter frequently exceed World Health Organization recommended limits by several folds, exposing large populations to hazardous air for prolonged periods each year. While the respiratory consequences of air pollution are well recognized, its cardiovascular implications remain insufficiently emphasized despite robust international evidence identifying air pollution as a major, independent, and modifiable cardiovascular risk factor (1).