Ambient Air Pollution and Stroke

S troke is a leading cause of death in the United States 1 and worldwide (http://www.who.int) and may lead to considerable neurological sequelae including aphasia, paraplegia, and dementia. The estimated healthcare costs of stroke in the United States exceed $36 billion per year. 1 A large body of evidence supports the association between ambient air pollution exposure and increased cardiovascular mortality and morbidity, 2 but only recently have several studies specifically demonstrated an association with increased stroke risk.