Fine Particulate Air Pollution and the Progression of Carotid Intima-Medial Thickness: A Prospective Cohort Study from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis and Air Pollution

Details

• Personal Author:
  Adar SD ; Barr RG ; Budoff M ; Diez Roux AV ; Jacobs DR Jr. ; Kaufman JD ; Polak JF ; Sampson PD ; Sheppard L ; Vedal S ; Watson K
• Description:
  Background: Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) has been linked to cardiovascular disease, possibly via accelerated atherosclerosis. We examined associations between the progression of the intima-medial thickness (IMT) of the common carotid artery, as an indicator of atherosclerosis, and long-term PM2.5 concentrations in participants from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA). Methods and Results: MESA, a prospective cohort study, enrolled 6,814 participants at the baseline exam (2000-2002), with 5,660 (83%) of those participants completing two ultrasound examinations between 2000 and 2005 (mean follow-up: 2.5 years). PM2.5 was estimated over the year preceding baseline and between ultrasounds using a spatio-temporal model. Cross-sectional and longitudinal associations were examined using mixed models adjusted for confounders including age, sex, race/ethnicity, smoking, and socio-economic indicators. Among 5,362 participants (5% of participants had missing data) with a mean annual progression of 14 um/y, 2.5 ug/m3 higher levels of residential PM2.5 during the follow-up period were associated with 5.0 um/y (95% CI 2.6 to 7.4 um/y) greater IMT progressions among persons in the same metropolitan area. Although significant associations were not found with IMT progression without adjustment for metropolitan area (0.4 um/y [95% CI -0.4 to 1.2 um/y] per 2.5 ug/m3), all of the six areas showed positive associations. Greater reductions in PM2.5 over follow-up for a fixed baseline PM2.5 were also associated with slowed IMT progression (-2.8 um/y [95% CI -1.6 to -3.9 um/y] per 1 ug/m3 reduction). Study limitations include the use of a surrogate measure of atherosclerosis, some loss to follow-up, and the lack of estimates for air pollution concentrations prior to 1999. Conclusions: This early analysis from MESA suggests that higher long-term PM2.5 concentrations are associated with increased IMT progression and that greater reductions in PM2.5 are related to slower IMT progression. These findings, even over a relatively short follow-up period, add to the limited literature on air pollution and the progression of atherosclerotic processes in humans. If confirmed by future analyses of the full 10 years of follow-up in this cohort, these findings will help to explain associations between long-term PM2.5 concentrations and clinical cardiovascular events. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Air Pollution Cardiovascular Diseases Cardiovascular System Cohort Studies Epidemiology Occupational Health Particulate Matter Safety
• Keywords:
  Air Pollution Biological Effects Cardiovascular Disease Cohort Studies Particulates
• ISSN:
  1553-7374
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  California ; Massachusetts ; Michigan ; Minnesota ; New York ; OSHA Region 1 ; OSHA Region 10 ; OSHA Region 2 ; OSHA Region 5 ; OSHA Region 9 ; Washington
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  10
• Issue:
  4
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20055154
• Citation:
  PLoS Med 2013 Apr; 10(4):e1001430
• Contact Point Address:
  Sara D. Adar, Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
• Email:
  sadar@umich.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2013
• Performing Organization:
  University of Washington
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  Public Library of Science Medicine
• End Date:
  20250630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:7d33b66d7e8f913f90b98e4b27f1f9f16b0fc192c692d2f8e0b8559330fdbee09f459f113f14f3c0e7359a5cdc7300f24b3277dc6df8585d10cff2c468ee17dc
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/217515/cdc_217515_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 379.32 KB ]