TY - JOUR
T1 - Air Pollution and Atherosclerosis: 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 - Aguilera, Inmaculada
AU - Agis, David
AU - Beelen, Rob
AU - Brunekreef, Bert
AU - Cyrys, Josef
AU - Fuks, Kateryna B
AU - Adam, Martin
AU - Baldassare, 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 - Thierry, Joachim
AU - Hoffmann, Barbara
AU - Peters, Annette
AU - Künzli, Nino
PY - 2015/1/27
Y1 - 2015/1/27
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 pre-clinical marker of atherosclerosis.METHODS: Individually assigned levels of NO2, NOx, PM2.5, absorbance of PM2.5 (PM2.5abs), PM10, PMcoarse, and two indicators of residential 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 9183 individuals resulted in an estimated increase in CIMT (geometric mean) of 0.72% (95% Confidence Interval [CI]: -0.65%, 2.10%) per 5 µg/m(3) 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 pollutants 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/m(3) contrast in PM2.5.CONCLUSIONS: Using a standardized exposure and analytical protocol in four European cohorts, 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 pre-clinical marker of atherosclerosis.METHODS: Individually assigned levels of NO2, NOx, PM2.5, absorbance of PM2.5 (PM2.5abs), PM10, PMcoarse, and two indicators of residential 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 9183 individuals resulted in an estimated increase in CIMT (geometric mean) of 0.72% (95% Confidence Interval [CI]: -0.65%, 2.10%) per 5 µg/m(3) 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 pollutants 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/m(3) contrast in PM2.5.CONCLUSIONS: Using a standardized exposure and analytical protocol in four European cohorts, 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.
U2 - 10.1289/ehp.1307711
DO - 10.1289/ehp.1307711
M3 - Article
C2 - 25625785
SN - 0091-6765
VL - 123
SP - 597
EP - 605
JO - Environmental Health Perspectives
JF - Environmental Health Perspectives
IS - 6
ER -