title: Comparative study of ambient air particles in patients hospitalized for heart failure and acute coronary syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Currently air pollution is considered as an emerging risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Our objective was to study the concentrations of particulate matter in ambient air and analyze their relationship with cardiovascular risk factors in patients admitted to a cardiology department of a tertiary hospital with the diagnosis of heart failure or acute coronary syndrome (ACS).
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed 3950 consecutive patients admitted with the diagnosis of heart failure or ACS. We determined the average concentrations of different sizes of particulate matter (<10, <2.5, and <1 μm and ultrafine particles) from 1 day or up to 7 days prior to admission (1 to 7 days lag time).
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no statistically significant differences in mean concentrations of particulate matter <10, <2.5 and <1 μm in size in both populations. When comparing the concentrations of ultrafine particles of patients admitted due to heart failure and acute coronary syndrome, it was observed that the former had a tendency to have higher values (19 845.35 ± 8 806.49 vs 16 854.97 ± 8005.54 cm⁻³, P <.001). The multivariate analysis showed that ultrafine particles are a risk factor for admission for heart failure, after controlling for other cardiovascular risk factors (odds ratio=1.4; confidence interval 95%, from 1.15 to 1.66 P=.02).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In our study population, compared with patients with ACS, exposure to ultrafine particles is a precipitating factor for admission for heart failure.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Cardiología, Hospital Universitario de Canarias, La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain. adrvdg@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Domínguez-Rodríguez
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Abreu-Afonso
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rodríguez
authors.forename: Rubén A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Juárez-Prera
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Arroyo-Ucar
authors.forename: Alejandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jiménez-Sosa
authors.forename: Yenny
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: González
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Abreu-González
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Avanzas
mesh_terms: D054058:Acute Coronary Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D000368:Aged; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis*; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D052638:Particulate Matter