Medium-Term Exposure to Traffic-Related Air Pollution and Markers of Inflammation and Endothelial Function

2011

Traffic-Related Air Pollution and Inflammation in Elderly Men

Sample size: 642 publication Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Alexeeff Stacey E., Coull Brent A., Gryparis Alexandros, Suh Helen, Sparrow David, Vokonas Pantel S., Schwartz Joel

Primary Institution: Harvard School of Public Health

Hypothesis

Increases in medium-term black carbon concentrations estimated by land-use regressions would be associated with an increased inflammatory response in elderly men in the Greater Boston area.

Conclusion

Medium-term exposure to traffic-related air pollution may increase inflammatory and endothelial responses, particularly among diabetics and those not using statins.

Supporting Evidence

Statistically significant positive associations were found between black carbon and sICAM-1 for averages of 4, 8, and 12 weeks.
An interquartile-range increase in 8-week black carbon exposure was associated with a 1.58% increase in sICAM-1.
Diabetics showed greater susceptibility to the effects of black carbon on inflammatory markers.

Takeaway

Breathing in pollution from traffic can make older men more inflamed, especially if they have diabetes or don't take certain medications.

Methodology

The study involved 642 elderly men with repeated measurements of inflammatory markers and estimated black carbon exposure using a validated spatiotemporal model.