Cooking with coal, wood, or charcoal as fuel is associated with an increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease, finds a recent study.

Dr Derrick Bennett, study author, University of Oxford, UK, said, "Our study suggests that people who use solid fuels for cooking should switch to electricity or gas as soon as possible." It has been suggested that air pollution from cooking with solid fuels, such as coal, wood, or charcoal, may lead to premature death from cardiovascular disease, but there is limited evidence. This study assessed the association between solid fuel use for cooking and cardiovascular death, as well as the potential impact of switching from solid to clean fuel (electricity or gas).

Compared to persistent long-term use of solid fuels, adopting clean fuels was associated with a lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease. Professor Zhengming Chen, principal investigator, University of Oxford, UK, said: "We found that long-term use of solid fuels for cooking was associated with an excess risk of cardiovascular death, after accounting for established risk factors. Switching to electricity or gas weakened the impact of previous solid fuel use, suggesting that the negative association may be reversible." The study was presented at ESC Congress 2018.