TY - JOUR
T1 - Air pollution and atherosclerosis
T2 - A cross-sectional analysis of four European cohort studies in the ESCAPE study
AU - Perez, Laura
AU - Wolf, Kathrin
AU - Hennig, Frauke
AU - Penell, Johanna
AU - Basagaña, Xavier
AU - Foraster, Maria
AU - Aguilera, Inmaculada
AU - Agis, David
AU - Beelen, Rob
AU - Brunekreef, Bert
AU - Cyrys, Josef
AU - Fuks, Kateryna B.
AU - Adam, Martin
AU - Baldassarre, Damiano
AU - Cirach, Marta
AU - Elosua, Roberto
AU - Dratva, Julia
AU - Hampel, Regina
AU - Koenig, Wolfgang
AU - Marrugat, Jaume
AU - de Faire, Ulf
AU - Pershagen, Göran
AU - Probst-Hensch, Nicole M.
AU - de Nazelle, Audrey
AU - Nieuwenhuijsen, Mark J.
AU - Rathmann, Wolfgang
AU - Rivera, Marcela
AU - Seissler, Jochen
AU - Schindler, Christian
AU - Thiery, Joachim
AU - Hoffmann, Barbara
AU - Peters, Annette
AU - Künzli, Nino
PY - 2015
Y1 - 2015
N2 - Background: In four European cohorts, we investigated the cross-sectional association between long-term exposure to air pollution and intima-media thickness of the common carotid artery (CIMT), a preclinical marker of atherosclerosis. Methods: Individually assigned levels of nitrogen dioxide, nitrogen oxides, particulate matter ≤ 2.5 μm (PM2.5), absorbance of PM2.5 (PM2.5abs), PM10, PMcoarse, and two indicators of resi-dential proximity to highly trafficked roads were obtained under a standard exposure protocol (European Study of Cohorts for Air Pollution Effects—ESCAPE study) in the Stockholm area (Sweden), the Ausburg and Ruhr area (Germany), and the Girona area (Spain). We used linear regression and meta-analyses to examine the association between long-term exposure to air pollution and CIMT. results: The meta-analysis with 9,183 individuals resulted in an estimated increase in CIMT (geometric mean) of 0.72% (95% CI: –0.65%, 2.10%) per 5-μg/m3 increase in PM2.5 and 0.42% (95% CI: –0.46%, 1.30%) per 10–5/m increase in PM2.5abs. Living in proximity to high traffic was also positively but not significantly associated with CIMT. Meta-analytic estimates for other pollut-ants were inconsistent. Results were similar across different adjustment sets and sensitivity analyses. In an extended meta-analysis for PM2.5 with three other previously published studies, a 0.78% (95% CI: –0.18%, 1.75%) increase in CIMT was estimated for a 5-μg/m3 contrast in PM2.5. conclusions: Using a standardized exposure and analytical protocol in four European cohorts, we found that cross-sectional associations between CIMT and the eight ESCAPE markers of long-term residential air pollution exposure did not reach statistical significance. The additional meta-analysis of CIMT and PM2.5 across all published studies also was positive but not significant.
AB - Background: In four European cohorts, we investigated the cross-sectional association between long-term exposure to air pollution and intima-media thickness of the common carotid artery (CIMT), a preclinical marker of atherosclerosis. Methods: Individually assigned levels of nitrogen dioxide, nitrogen oxides, particulate matter ≤ 2.5 μm (PM2.5), absorbance of PM2.5 (PM2.5abs), PM10, PMcoarse, and two indicators of resi-dential proximity to highly trafficked roads were obtained under a standard exposure protocol (European Study of Cohorts for Air Pollution Effects—ESCAPE study) in the Stockholm area (Sweden), the Ausburg and Ruhr area (Germany), and the Girona area (Spain). We used linear regression and meta-analyses to examine the association between long-term exposure to air pollution and CIMT. results: The meta-analysis with 9,183 individuals resulted in an estimated increase in CIMT (geometric mean) of 0.72% (95% CI: –0.65%, 2.10%) per 5-μg/m3 increase in PM2.5 and 0.42% (95% CI: –0.46%, 1.30%) per 10–5/m increase in PM2.5abs. Living in proximity to high traffic was also positively but not significantly associated with CIMT. Meta-analytic estimates for other pollut-ants were inconsistent. Results were similar across different adjustment sets and sensitivity analyses. In an extended meta-analysis for PM2.5 with three other previously published studies, a 0.78% (95% CI: –0.18%, 1.75%) increase in CIMT was estimated for a 5-μg/m3 contrast in PM2.5. conclusions: Using a standardized exposure and analytical protocol in four European cohorts, we found that cross-sectional associations between CIMT and the eight ESCAPE markers of long-term residential air pollution exposure did not reach statistical significance. The additional meta-analysis of CIMT and PM2.5 across all published studies also was positive but not significant.
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U2 - 10.1289/ehp.1307711
DO - 10.1289/ehp.1307711
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84929361153
VL - 123
SP - 597
EP - 605
JO - Environmental Health Perspectives
JF - Environmental Health Perspectives
SN - 0091-6765
IS - 6
ER -