Traffic Exposure and Heart Disease Risk
Author Information
Author(s): Kan Haidong, Heiss Gerardo, Rose Kathryn M., Whitsel Eric A., Lurmann Fred, London Stephanie J.
Primary Institution: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
Hypothesis
Does long-term exposure to traffic increase the incidence of coronary heart disease (CHD)?
Conclusion
Higher long-term exposure to traffic is associated with an increased risk of developing coronary heart disease.
Supporting Evidence
- Over an average of 13 years of follow-up, 976 subjects developed CHD.
- The adjusted hazard ratio for the highest quartile of traffic density was 1.32.
- Traffic exposure was assessed using GIS-mapped traffic density and distance to major roads.
- Participants were followed for incident CHD until December 2002.
Takeaway
Living near busy roads can make you more likely to have heart problems as you get older.
Methodology
The study followed 13,309 middle-aged participants over 13 years, assessing traffic exposure using geographic information systems and analyzing incident CHD with proportional hazards regression models.
Potential Biases
Potential selection bias due to missing geocode data for some participants.
Limitations
The study could not validate exposure assessments with actual measurements and lacked data on other sources of pollutants.
Participant Demographics
Middle-aged men and women from four U.S. communities, with a mix of ethnicities including a 100% African American sample in Jackson, Mississippi.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.006
Confidence Interval
95% CI, 1.01–1.05
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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