A 2007 review of evidence found that, ambient air pollution exposure is a risk factor correlating with increased total mortality from cardiovascular events (range: 12% to 14% per 10 µg/m3 increase)
Air pollution is also emerging as a risk factor for stroke, particularly in developing countries where pollutant levels are highest.A 2007 study found that in women, air pollution is not associated with hemorrhagic but with ischemic stroke.Air pollution was also found to be associated with increased incidence and mortality from coronary stroke in a cohort study in 2011. Associations are believed to be causal and effects may be mediated by vasoconstriction, low-grade inflammation and atherosclerosis Other mechanisms such as autonomic nervous system imbalance have also been suggested
