When the public health field talks about PM2.5 as the most-deadly air pollutant, the deaths are mostly cardiovascular, heart attacks, strokes, arrhythmias, not respiratory. The American Heart Association scientific statement establishes the causal link unambiguously and quantifies it.
The mechanism is partly inflammatory and partly direct. PM2.5 particles (and especially the ultrafine fraction within them) provoke systemic inflammation and oxidative stress, alter autonomic nervous-system balance toward sympathetic dominance, and, for the smallest particles, cross from alveoli into the bloodstream and reach arterial tissue directly. Brook et al. review the human and animal evidence.
Quantitatively: a 10 µg/m³ increase in long-term PM2.5 exposure raises all-cause cardiovascular mortality risk by roughly 10% (linear, no obvious threshold), and acute exposure spikes, wildfire-smoke days, peak winter inversions, produce measurable spikes in myocardial-infarction and stroke admissions in the 24–72 hours that follow.
Terrestream applies the same PM2.5 bands to everyone and has no setting for heart conditions. What it does is show indoor PM2.5 as it changes, alert you when particles are rising, and compare indoor air with outdoor air-quality data, so it can suggest keeping windows closed and running filtration when outside air is worse. For long-term targets, the WHO 2021 guidelines set PM2.5 at 5 µg/m³ for the annual mean and 15 µg/m³ for the 24-hour mean; if you have heart disease, ask your clinician how they apply to you.
This is environmental information, not medical advice. The dashboard's readings help you make decisions about the air in your space. They do not diagnose conditions, interpret symptoms, or replace conversations with your physician. If symptoms persist, worsen, or coincide with a known exposure, talk to a healthcare professional. See what Terrestream's advice covers.
