Lead researcher Tao Liu, Ph.D., deputy director and epidemiologist of the environmental health division at Guangdong Provincial Institute of Public Health in China said they have discovered a significant risk of developing high blood pressure due to exposure to air pollution. He warned that people should limit their exposure on days with higher air pollution levels, especially for those with high blood pressure, even very short-term exposure can aggravate their conditions.

The meta-analysis found high blood pressure was significantly associated with short-term exposure to sulfur dioxide (SO2), which mainly comes from the burning of fossil fuel and PM2.5 and PM10 and the long-term exposure to nitrogen dioxide (NO2), which is produced from combustion, and PM10.

Researchers from American heart association also pointed out that the high blood pressure is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease and stroke.

The study is published in the Hypertension: Journal of the American Heart Association journal.