Effects of indoor, outdoor, and personal exposure to particulate air pollution on cardiovascular physiology and systemic mediators in seniors.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the associations between exposure to particulate air pollution and changes in cardiovascular function and plasma mediators in seniors.


METHODS
We monitored daily indoor and outdoor black carbon and particulate matter < or = 2.5 microm (pm(2.5)) and personal pm(2.5) repeatedly for 28 nonsmoking seniors. We then measured their blood pressure, heart rate, and brachial artery function, and determined plasma mediators of inflammation, vascular function, and oxidative stress. We tested associations using mixed-effects models.


RESULTS
Increases in black carbon and pm2.5 were associated with increases in blood pressure, heart rate, endothelin-1, vascular endothelial growth factor, and oxidative stress marker thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, and a decrease in brachial artery diameter (P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Daily exposure to particulate pollution, likely traffic-related, may result in adverse effects on cardiovascular function and blood mediators that modulate vascular system in seniors.
Liu
Ling
L
Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch, Health Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1A 0K9. ling_liu@hc-sc.gc.ca
Ruddy
Terrence
T
Dalipaj
Mary
M
Poon
Raymond
R
Szyszkowicz
Mieczyslaw
M
You
Hongyu
H
Dales
Robert E
RE
Wheeler
Amanda J
AJ
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000397:Air Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000009:adverse effects; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001795:Blood Pressure Determination; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000009:adverse effects; D062665:Epidemiological Monitoring; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000009:adverse effects*; D018570:Risk Assessment
D000393:Air Pollutants; D015415:Biomarkers; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D052638:Particulate Matter