title: Carotid intima-media thickness, a marker of subclinical atherosclerosis, and particulate air pollution exposure: the meta-analytical evidence.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Studies on the association between atherosclerosis and long-term exposure to ambient air pollution suggest that carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), a marker of subclinical atherosclerosis, is positively associated with particulate matter (PM) exposure. However, there is heterogeneity between the different studies concerning the magnitude of this association. We performed a meta-analysis to determine the strength of the association between CIMT and particulate air pollution.
  
  
  METHODS
  We queried PubMed citation database and Web of Knowledge up to March 2015 in order to identify studies on CIMT and particulate air pollution. Two investigators selected and computerized all relevant information, independently. Eight of the reviewed epidemiological publications provided sufficient details and met our inclusion criteria. Descriptive and quantitative information was extracted from each selected study. The meta-analysis included 18,349 participants from eight cohorts for the cross-sectional association between CIMT and PM and 7,268 participants from three cohorts for the longitudinal analysis on CIMT progression and PM exposure.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The average exposure to PM2.5 in the different study populations ranged from 4.1 to 20.8 µg/m3 and CIMT averaged (SD) 0.73 (0.14) mm. We computed a pooled estimate from a random-effects model. In the combined cross-sectional studies, an increase of 5 µg/m3 PM2.5 was associated with a 1.66% (95% CI: 0.86 to 2.46; P<0.0001) thicker CIMT, which corresponds to an average increase of 12.1 µm. None of the studies moved the combined estimate outside the confidence interval of the overall estimate. A funnel plot suggested absence of publication bias. The combined longitudinal estimate showed for each 5 µg/m3 higher PM2.5 exposure, a 1.04 µm per year (95% CI: 0.01 to 2.07; P=0.048) greater CIMT progression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our meta-analysis supports the evidence of a positive association between CIMT, a marker of subclinical atherosclerosis, and long-term exposure to particulate air pollution.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Environmental Sciences (CMK), Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium; Environmental Risk and Health, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Mol, Belgium.
authors.forename: Eline B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Provost
authors.affiliation: Centre for Environmental Sciences (CMK), Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium.
authors.forename: Narjes
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Madhloum
authors.affiliation: Environmental Risk and Health, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Mol, Belgium; School for Mobility (IMOB), Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium.
authors.forename: Luc
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Int Panis
authors.affiliation: Centre for Environmental Sciences (CMK), Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium; Environmental Risk and Health, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Mol, Belgium.
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: De Boever
authors.affiliation: Centre for Environmental Sciences (CMK), Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium; Department of Public Health & Primary Care, Leuven University (KU Leuven), Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Tim S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Nawrot
mesh_terms: D058070:Asymptomatic Diseases; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology; D059168:Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D052638:Particulate Matter