title: Urban air pollution and mortality in a cohort of Norwegian men.
abstract: We investigated the association between total and cause-specific mortality and individual measures of long-term air pollution exposure in a cohort of Norwegian men followed from 1972-1973 through 1998. Data from a follow-up study on cardiovascular risk factors among 16,209 men 40-49 years of age living in Oslo, Norway, in 1972-1973 were linked with data from the Norwegian Death Register and with estimates of average yearly air pollution levels at the participants' home addresses from 1974 to 1998. Cox proportional-hazards regression was used to estimate associations between exposure and total and cause-specific mortality. During the follow-up time 4,227 men died from a disease corresponding to an ICD-9 (International Classification of Diseases, Revision 9) code < 800. Controlling for a number of potential confounders, the adjusted risk ratio for dying was 1.08 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.06-1.11] for a 10- microg/m3 increase in average exposure to nitrogen oxides (NOx) at the home address from 1974 through 1978. Corresponding adjusted risk ratios for dying from a respiratory disease other than lung cancer were 1.16 (95% CI, 1.06-1.26); from lung cancer, 1.11 (95% CI, 1.03-1.19); from ischemic heart diseases, 1.08 (95% CI, 1.03-1.12); and from cerebrovascular diseases, 1.04 (95% CI, 0.94-1.15). The findings indicate that urban air pollution may increase the risk of dying. The effect seemed to be strongest for deaths from respiratory diseases other than lung cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Practice and Community Medicine, Medical Faculty, University of Oslo, P.B. 1140 Blindern, N-0317 Oslo, Norway. per.nafstad@fhi.no
authors.forename: Per
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nafstad
authors.forename: Lise Lund
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Håheim
authors.forename: Torbjørn
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wisløff
authors.forename: Frederick
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gram
authors.forename: Bente
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Oftedal
authors.forename: Ingar
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Holme
authors.forename: Ingvar
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hjermann
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Leren
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000397:Air Pollution / Q000032:analysis*; D002423:Cause of Death; D015331:Cohort Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009026:Mortality; D009589:Nitrogen Oxides / Q000032:analysis; D009664:Norway; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D013458:Sulfur Dioxide / Q000032:analysis; D014504:Urban Health
chemical_list: D009589:Nitrogen Oxides; D013458:Sulfur Dioxide