
To reach this conclusion, researchers at the University of Michigan studied the effects of environmental pollution in 4,607 people between the ages of 45 and 84. By photographing the retina of the volunteers to analyze the fundus of the eye, the scientists found that those who were exposed to the polluted air for a short time had blood microvessels similar to those of people three years older, while the longer exposure caused the vessels to age until seven years. The vessels of the retina are representative of the small vessels of any other area of the body, including those that supply the heart, suggesting that environmental pollution increases the risk of heart disease. Specifically, according to Sara Adar, co-author of the study, the results could translate into "a 3% increase in the incidence of heart disease in exposed women who live in areas with high levels of environmental pollution."