Grantee Research Project Results
2000 Progress Report: Cardiovascular Responses to Particulate Air Pollution
EPA Grant Number: R827994Title: Cardiovascular Responses to Particulate Air Pollution
Investigators: Liao, Duanping , Chinchilli, Vernon M. , Shy, Carl , Heiss, Gerardo , Xie, Sharon
Current Investigators: Liao, Duanping , Whitsel, Eric , Heiss, Gerardo , Lin, Hung-Mo , Duan, Yinkang
Institution: Pennsylvania State University
EPA Project Officer: Chung, Serena
Project Period: (Extended to April 30, 2004)
Project Period Covered by this Report: January 1, 2000 through January 1, 2001
Project Amount: $607,630
RFA: Airborne Particulate Matter Health Effects (1999) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Particulate Matter , Air Quality and Air Toxics , Air , Human Health
Objective:
The overall aims of the study have not been modified from the original proposal. They are to: (1) abstract and create, from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Aerometric Information Retrieval System (AIRS), the average exposures to ambient criteria pollutants for the 15,792 individuals who participated in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study, as 1-day, 2-day, 3-day, and/or 6-day averages prior to their randomly scheduled cohort clinical examinations (Baseline in 1987-1989 and fourth examination in1996-1998); (2) combine the air pollution data with the cardiovascular health data already collected by the ARIC investigators to study:- The independent relationships between exposure to criteria pollutants and:
- Cardiac autonomic control assessed by heart rate variability;
- Cardiovascular reactivity assessed by postural changes of blood pressure and heart rate;
- Inflammatory/hemostatic markers; and
- The presence of arrhythmias assessed by 2-minute ECG rhythm strips
- The relationships between criteria pollutants and validated cardiovascular diseases (CVD), including sudden cardiac death, myocardial infarction (MI), coronary heart disease (CHD), and stroke.
Progress Summary:
The specific aims for the first year of the grant included:- Finalizing the study design and inclusion/exclusion criteria.
- Obtaining AIRS raw criteria pollutants and meteorological data from 1987-1998 for ARIC study Centers.
- Training a database specialist/statistical analyst for the purpose of analyzing the AIRS data.
- Abstracting from AIRS raw daily monitoring data to create 1-day, 2-day, 3-day, and/or 6-day average exposures to each criteria pollutant for the periods of 1987-1998.
- Cleaning the ambient air pollution exposure database.
- Deriving cardiovascular health data from the ARIC study master database.
- Matching the criteria pollutant data to the examination date for each of the ARIC participants according to their examination date and community. Thus, create 1-day, 2-day, 3-day, and/or 6-day average exposures to each criteria pollutant for each study participant for each cohort examination.
- Starting analysis addressing the specific aims identified above.
The following progress/accomplishments have been achieved during the past year:
- The study plan and subjects inclusion/exclusion criteria were finalized.
- According to the study plan we have obtained from EPA all the necessary air pollution raw data we have planned to investigate.
- A database specialist has been trained to become our primary analyst for the purpose of analyzing the above air pollution data. According to the study protocol, we have constructed, cleaned, and validated from the above raw data the daily air pollution levels for the entire study period of 1987-1998 for our 15,800 study subjects.
- Cardiovascular health data from the ARIC study master database have been obtained and matched with the air pollution database for the use of this study in the format suitable for statistical analysis to address specific aims listed above.
- We have completed the statistical analysis of the associations between air pollution and hemostatic/inflammation factors. From these analyses, two abstracts have been submitted for presentation at the 2001 Society of Epidemiological Research Meeting.
Our results suggest that visibility is moderately correlated with PM10, especially when the relative humidity is < 95 percent. Adjusting for meteorological factors (such as relative humidity, temperature, cloudiness, and season) significantly improves the correlation across the geographic locations. Thus, it supports the use of visibility as the surrogate marker for PM10.
Our results from the analysis of particulate matter and plasma hemostatic/inflammatory markers indicate that hemostatic/inflammation markers are significantly and inversely associated with visibility, and thus suggests that higher PM10 is associated with higher levels of plasma hemostatic and inflammatory markers, especially among persons with a history of CVD. These results, if confirmed by other studies, point to a mechanism linking particulate pollution to CVD risk.
Future Activities:
During the second year of the grant we expect to:- Continue analyses leading to publications and presentations.
- Preparation of manuscripts for presentations and publications.
- Complete analysis of air pollution and cardiac autonomic control and prepare presentations and publications.
- Complete analysis of air pollution and systemic inflammation and prepare presentations and publications.
- Complete analysis of air pollution and cardiovascular reactivity and prepare presentations and publications.
Journal Articles:
No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 14 publications for this projectSupplemental Keywords:
population-based study, public health, air pollution, ambient air, particulate matter, ozone, heart disease, health effects, heart rate variability, inflammation, blood coagulation, epidemiology, human health, susceptibility, analytical, surveys., RFA, Health, Scientific Discipline, Air, particulate matter, Environmental Chemistry, Health Risk Assessment, Epidemiology, Risk Assessments, Biochemistry, Atmospheric Sciences, Biology, ambient aerosol, copollutant exposures, particulates, air toxics, cardiopulmonary responses, human health effects, cardiovascular vulnerability, heart rate variability, air pollution, chronic health effects, particulate exposure, ethnicity, Acute health effects, blood pressure, PM, cardiotoxicity, myocardium infarction, cardiac arrhythmiasRelevant Websites:
http://www.hmc.psu.edu/hes_dept/Faculty/Liao.htmlProgress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.