A new study by the University of Rochester (NY) Medical Center found that Type 2 diabetics who breathe ultrafine particles in the air exhibit elevated levels of well-known markers for cardiovascular disease.

The scientists found that diabetics exposed to ultrafine particles had higher levels of activated blood platelets and von Willebrand factor, both of which play a role in heart attacks.

Study author Mark Frampton, M.D., said diabetics, asthmatics and other individuals at risk should take precautions when air quality is poor. “These patients really need to control many factors, and one of them is their exposure to pollution,” he noted.