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Air pollution and atherosclerosis: A cross-sectional analysis of four European cohort studies in the ESCAPE study

Perez, Laura
; 
Wolf, Kathrin
; 
Hennig, Frauke
; 
Penell, Johanna
; 
Basagaña, Xavier
; 
Foraster, Maria
; 
Aguilera, Inmaculada
; 
Agis, David
; 
Beelen, Rob
; 
Brunekreef, Bert
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Author
Perez, Laura
Wolf, Kathrin
Hennig, Frauke
Penell, Johanna
Basagaña, Xavier
Foraster, Maria
Aguilera, Inmaculada
Agis, David
Beelen, Rob
Brunekreef, Bert
Cyrys, Josef
Fuks, Kateryna B.
Adam, Martin
Baldassarre, Damiano
Cirach, Marta
Elosua, Roberto
Dratva, Julia
Hampel, Regina
Koenig, Wolfgang
Marrugat, Jaume
de Faire, Ulf
Pershagen, Göran
Probst-Hensch, Nicole
de Nazelle, Audrey
Nieuwenhuijsen, Mark J.
Rathmann, Wolfgang
Rivera, Marcela
Seissler, Jochen
Schindler, Christian
Thiery, Joachim
Hoffmann, Barbara
Peters, Annette
Künzli, Nino
Abstract
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 μm (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-μg/m3 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/m3 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. Citation: Perez L, Wolf K, Hennig F, Penell J, Basagaña X, Foraster M, Aguilera I, Agis D, Beelen R, Brunekreef B, Cyrys J, Fuks KB, Adam M, Baldassarre D, Cirach M, Elosua R, Dratva J, Hampel R, Koenig W, Marrugat J, de Faire U, Pershagen G, Probst-Hensch NM, de Nazelle A, Nieuwenhuijsen MJ, Rathmann W, Rivera M, Seissler J, Schindler C, Thiery J, Hoffmann B, Peters A, Künzli N. 2015. Air pollution and atherosclerosis: a cross-sectional analysis of four European cohort studies in the ESCAPE Study. Environ Health Perspect 123:597–605; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1307711
Keywords
Date
2015
Type
Journal article
Journal
Environmental Health Perspectives
Book
Volume
123
Issue
6
Page Range
597-605
Article Number
ACU Department
Mary MacKillop Institute for Health Research
Faculty of Health Sciences
Collections
Mary MacKillop Institute for Health Research
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URI
https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14802/25103
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DOI
10.1289/ehp.1307711
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Open Access Status
Open access
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Open
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