Lively Women

More Pollution Means Increased Risk of Cardiovascular Disease

by Kristen King on July 20th, 2007

A recent study by the University of Washington reported in the New England Journal of Medicine concluded that women living in areas with high levels of air pollution are more likely to develop and die from cardiovascular disease than are their clean-breathing counterparts.

The researchers studied levels of fine particulate matter, which are tiny airborne particles of soot or dust, and can come from a variety of sources, like vehicle exhaust, coal-fired power plants, industrial sources, and wood-burning fireplaces. These particles are less than 2.5 microns in diameter — about 30 to 40 of them would equal the diameter of a human hair. Particulate matter levels are monitored and regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). They’re typically invisible to the human eye once they’re in the atmosphere, though they may be visible in dense clouds as they come out of a tailpipe, smokestack or chimney, and are responsible for urban haze.

“These soot particles, which are typically created by fossil-fuel combustion in vehicles and power plants, can contain a complex mix of chemicals,” explained Dr. Joel Kaufman, professor of environmental & occupational health sciences, epidemiology, and medicine at the UW, and leader of the study. “The tiny particles – and the pollutant gases that travel along with them – cause harmful effects once they are breathed in.”

Fine particulate matter is measured in micrograms (or millionths of a gram) per cubic meter; cities in the study had average levels of fine particulate matter ranging from about 4 to nearly 20 micrograms per cubic meter. The researchers found that each 10-unit increase in fine particulate matter level was linked to a 76 percent increase in the risk of death from cardiovascular disease, after taking into account known risk factors such as blood pressure, cholesterol, and smoking. Higher long-term average levels of fine particulate matter also led to a higher overall risk of cardiovascular disease events, including stroke and heart attack.

They also found that local differences in particulate matter levels within a city, as well as exposure differences between cities, translate to a higher or lower risk of cardiovascular disease and related death.

“Our findings show that both what city a woman lived in, and where she lived in that city, affected her exposure level and her disease risk,” said Kristin Miller, first author of the study and a doctoral student in epidemiology at the UW.

Contents © Copyright 2007 Kristen King

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POSTED IN: Heart Health, Latest Research