The Obama administration contends that its new plan to cut carbon pollution from power plants will not just fight climate change, but will also quickly improve public health, preventing up to 100,000 asthma attacks and 2,100 heart attacks in the first year the rules take effect.

Public health experts said Monday that if the president could make the new rules stick, reductions in air pollution would be likely to pay off in better health.

Carbon dioxide from coal burning, a main cause of global warming, does not cause heart or lung problems itself, but the soot, chemicals and particles that accompany it can make people sick. For instance, researchers in New York City, led by Dr. George D. Thurston of the New York University School of Medicine, found that on days with high levels of ozone and air pollution, hospital admissions for respiratory problems rose about 20 percent.

Particulate pollution can also disrupt heart rhythm and cause inflammation in the blood vessels, which can lead to blood clots, narrowed arteries and heart attacks. Everyone is at risk, Dr. Thurston said, but the danger is greatest for people who already have underlying heart or lung disease.