ECHOES OF THE LAST MIND

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New research suggests exposure to PM2.5 can reduce the health benefits of exercise; we find out how.

Living in areas with high levels of PM2.5 could reduce the protective health effects of exercise. Image: Adobe.

The protective benefits of regular exercise can be reduced by long-term exposure to toxic air say researchers studying air pollution.

For over a decade, an international team of researchers has been tracking the health of more than 1.5 million adults in countries including the UK, China, Demark, Tawain and the United States, focussing on fine particulate matter known as PM2.5.

PM2.5 and health

PM2.5 is a mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets measuring less than 2.5 micrometres in diameter – small enough to get stuck in the lungs and enter the bloodstream. They originate from sources like combustion, industrial activities, construction, and natural events like wildfires.

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Researchers combined summary statistics from seven existing studies into one overall analysis and found that long-term exposure to these particles can substantially weaken the protective health effects of regular