Associations between short-term changes in air pollution and correlates of arterial stiffness: The Veterans Affairs Normative Aging Study, 2007-2011.
We investigated associations between short-term exposure to air pollution and central augmentation index and augmentation pressure, correlates of arterial stiffness, in a cohort of elderly men in the Boston, Massachusetts, metropolitan area. This longitudinal analysis included 370 participants from the Veterans Affairs Normative Aging Study with up to 2 visits between 2007 and 2011 (n = 445). Augmentation index (as %) and augmentation pressure (in mmHg) were measured at each visit by using radial artery applanation tonometry for pulse wave analysis and modeled in a mixed effects regression model as continuous functions of moving averages of air pollution exposures (over 4 hours and 1, 3, 7, and 14 days). The results suggest that short-term changes in air pollution were associated with augmentation index and augmentation pressure at several moving averages. Interquartile range (IQR) increases in 3-day average exposure to particles with aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 μm (3.6-μg/m(3) IQR increase) and sulfate (1.4-μg/m(3) IQR increase) and 1-day average exposure to particle number counts (8,741-counts/cm(3) IQR increase) were associated with augmentation index values that were 0.8% (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.2, 1.4), 0.6% (95% CI: 0.1, 1.2), and 1.7% (95% CI: 0.4, 2.9) higher, respectively. Overall, the findings were similar for augmentation pressure. The findings support the hypothesis that exposure to air pollution may affect vascular function.
Amar J
AJ
Mehta
Antonella
A
Zanobetti
Petros
P
Koutrakis
Murray A
MA
Mittleman
David
D
Sparrow
Pantel
P
Vokonas
Joel
J
Schwartz
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000397:Air Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001900:Boston / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis; D063177:Pulse Wave Analysis; D014505:Urban Population; D059289:Vascular Stiffness
D052638:Particulate Matter
air pollution; particulate matter; pulse wave analysis