Journal
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES
Volume 123, Issue 6, Pages 597-605Publisher
US DEPT HEALTH HUMAN SCIENCES PUBLIC HEALTH SCIENCE
DOI: 10.1289/ehp.1307711
Keywords
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Funding
- European Community [211250]
- Swedish Environmental Protection Agency
- Swedish Heart-Lung Foundation
- Swedish Council for Working Life and Social Research
- Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen
- German Research Center for Environmental Health - German Federal Ministry of Education and Research
- State of Bavaria
- Instituto de Salud Carlos III-ISCIII [FIS PI060258, ISCIII-RETIC 06/0018-FEDER-ERDF]
- German Ministry of Education and Science
- German Research Foundation (DFG) [JO-170/8-1, HO 3314/2-1, SI 236/8-1, SI236/9-1]
- [Marato 081632]
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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 mu m (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 9,183 individuals resulted in an estimated increase in CIMT (geometric mean) of 0.72% (95% CI: -0.65% 2.10%) per 5-mu g/m(3) increase in PM2.5 and 0.42% (95% CI: -0.46% 1.30%) per 10(-5)/m increase in PM(2.5)abs. 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-mu g/m(3) 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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