Grantee Research Project Results

2003 Progress Report: Long-term Exposure to Ambient Particulate Matter and Subclinical Atherosclerosis

EPA Grant Number: CR830543
Title: Long-term Exposure to Ambient Particulate Matter and Subclinical Atherosclerosis
Investigators: Diez Roux, Ana V. , Keeler, Gerald J. , Samson, Perry , Lin, Xihong
Current Investigators: Diez Roux, Ana V. , Auchincloss, Amy H , Keeler, Gerald J. , Dvonch, J. Timothy , O'Neill, Marie , Samson, Perry , Raghunathan, Trivellore
Institution: University of Michigan
Current Institution: University of Michigan , Drexel University
EPA Project Officer: Chung, Serena
Project Period: April 1, 2003 through March 31, 2006 (Extended to March 31, 2008)
Project Period Covered by this Report: April 1, 2003 through March 31, 2004
Project Amount: $768,990
RFA: Epidemiologic Research on Health Effects of Long-Term Exposure to Ambient Particulate Matter and Other Air Pollutants (2002) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Particulate Matter , Human Health , Air

Objective:

The general objective of this research project is to determine if long-term exposure to airborne particles is related to the development of atherosclerosis. Specific objectives are to: (1) examine the relationship between long-term exposure to air particles and the prevalence of subclinical atherosclerotic disease after controlling for established cardiovascular risk factors and key co-pollutants; (2) determine if established cardiovascular risk factors modify the relationship between long-term exposure to airborne particles and prevalence of subclinical disease; (3) determine if associations between long-term exposure and atherosclerosis are similar in different race/ethnic groups; and (4) examine the associations between current and recent exposure to air particles and inflammatory markers (a potential biologic mechanism linking air particle exposure to atherosclerosis).

Progress Summary:

Year 1 of the project has focused on data collection and database construction. The specific tasks performed include:

Collection of residential history information from Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) participants.
Creation of analytic databases from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency raw monitor data, including daily average data for all days between July 2000 and July 2002 at the six study sites and monthly average data for all monitors available in the whole country since 1980. Pollutants examined include PM₁₀ and PM_2.5, CO, NO₂, SO₂, and ozone.
Initial examination of spatial and temporal variability in daily and monthly exposure measures.
Development of a procedure for linking lagged daily data and historical monthly exposure data to MESA participants.

Future Activities:

During Year 2 of the project, we plan to:

Finalize development of exposure measures for short-term and long-term analyses, including comparison of measures based on: (1) “representative” monitor; (2) nearest monitor; (3) interpolated measures (including kriging, if appropriate); and (4) average within a given radius.
Complete exploration of spatial and temporal variability of measures for long-term analyses and develop spatial-temporal prediction models, if appropriate.
Complete analyses for prediction of PM_2.5 based on PM₁₀.
Initiate manuscripts related to short-term and long-term exposure analyses.

Journal Articles:

No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 11 publications for this project

Supplemental Keywords:

exposure, ambient air, health effects, sensitive populations, epidemiology, air, environmental chemistry, particulate matter, aerosol particles, air pollution, ambient particle health effects, atherosclerosis,, Health, RFA, Scientific Discipline, Air, PHYSICAL ASPECTS, Health Risk Assessment, Physical Processes, Risk Assessments, particulate matter, Environmental Monitoring, human exposure, long term exposure, aersol particles, airborne particulate matter, exposure, Acute health effects, atherosclerosis, ambient particle health effects, air pollution, biomarker, human health risk, human health effects

Progress and Final Reports:

Original Abstract

The 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.