Grantee Research Project Results
2010 Progress Report: Identifying the Cognitive and Vascular Effects of Air Pollution Sources and Mixtures in the Framingham Offspring and Third Generation Cohorts
EPA Grant Number: R834798C003Subproject: this is subproject number 003 , established and managed by the Center Director under grant R834798
(EPA does not fund or establish subprojects; EPA awards and manages the overall grant for this center).
Center: Health Effects Institute (2015 - 2020)
Center Director: Greenbaum, Daniel S.
Title: Identifying the Cognitive and Vascular Effects of Air Pollution Sources and Mixtures in the Framingham Offspring and Third Generation Cohorts
Investigators: Mittleman, Murray , Schwartz, Joel
Current Investigators: Mittleman, Murray , Gold, Diane R. , Schwartz, Joel
Institution: Harvard University
EPA Project Officer: Chung, Serena
Project Period: January 1, 2011 through December 31, 2015 (Extended to December 31, 2016)
Project Period Covered by this Report: January 1, 2010 through December 31,2010
RFA: Clean Air Research Centers (2009) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Human Health , Air
Objective:
Long- and short-term exposures to ambient air pollution are associated with adverse acute and chronic cardiovascular and perhaps cognitive function, but these effects are poorly understood. Using data from the Framingham Offspring and Third Generation Cohorts, well-characterized populations that have not been previously investigated in association with ambient environmental exposures, we will:
(1) determine whether long-term exposures to ambient pollutants and mixtures are associated with cognitive impairment and cognitive interference; (2) test whether short-term and long-term exposures to pollutants, mixtures and sources are associated with acute and chronic vascular and endothelial function; and (3) consider whether markers of biological susceptibility and vulnerability differentially influence these associations, allowing us to identify subpopulations at increased risk for harmful effects of air pollution.
Progress Summary:
Since funding began, we have worked closely with the Framingham data coordinators to complete the geocoding of all participants from the Framingham Offspring Cohort Cycles 6-8 and Third Generation Cycles 1-2. Geocoding of the Offspring Cohort is complete and we anticipate completing geocoding of the Third Generation Cohort by the end of July 2011.
Preliminary analyses have evaluated the impact of short term exposure to air pollution on vascular function as assessed by flow mediated dilation (FMD) of the brachial artery and baseline brachial artery diameter in the Framingham Offspring Cohort (Cycle 7). We have also examined the association between short-term exposures to air pollution and repeated measures of blood pressure in this population (Cycles 6-8). We observed inverse associations between pollutant exposures (PM2.5, BC, and NO2) and flow mediated dilation (%) which achieved statistical significance for PM2.5 five and seven day moving averages, and one day averages of NO2. Models restricted to individuals with diabetes suggested a larger magnitude of association, but wider confidence intervals. No statistically significant associations were observed for baseline diameter. These initial results were presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Heart Association Council on Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention in March 2011 in Atlanta, GA. In our recent blood pressure analyses, no significant associations were observed between ambient pollution levels and systolic, diastolic, or mean arterial pressure. These results will be presented at the International Society for Environmental Epidemiology meeting in Barcelona, Spain in September 2011. Further analyses of both blood pressure and FMD will incorporate data from the Third Generation when it becomes available.
Future Activities:
Future work will include integrating novel exposure assessment approaches and additional geocoding of Framingham participants into our modeling. We will complete the work we have begun on the vascular component of our project aims, and plan to begin work on examining associations between air pollution and cognitive function in the coming year. In addition, we have begun preliminary work extending the aims of our project to evaluate chronic effects of long-term exposure on atherosclerosis in the aorta based on MRI data collected on the Framingham Offspring Cohort from 2002 – 2006.
Journal Articles:
No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 53 publications for this subprojectSupplemental Keywords:
Air pollution, ambient particles, multi-pollutant mixtures, cognitive function, vascular function, inflammation, susceptibility, vulnerability, Scientific Discipline, Air, air toxics, Health Risk Assessment, Air Pollution Effects, Biochemistry, Environmental Monitoring, Biology, ambient air quality, children's health, complex mixtures, health effects, particulates, sensitive populations, air pollutants, biological sensitivities, exposure and effects, lung epithelial cells, susceptible populations, chemical composition, neurotoxicity, human exposure, toxicity, coronary artery disease, cardiopulmonary, cardiotoxicity, environmental effects, human health, mortalityRelevant Websites:
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/clarc/index.html Exit
Progress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractMain Center Abstract and Reports:
R834798 Health Effects Institute (2015 - 2020) Subprojects under this Center: (EPA does not fund or establish subprojects; EPA awards and manages the overall grant for this center).
R834798C001 Relative Toxicity of Air Pollution Mixtures
R834798C002 Cognitive Decline, Cardiovascular Changes, and Biological Aging in Response to Air Pollution
R834798C003 Identifying the Cognitive and Vascular Effects of Air Pollution Sources
and Mixtures in the Framingham Offspring and Third Generation Cohorts
R834798C004 Longitudinal Effects of Multiple Pollutants on Child Growth, Blood Pressure and Cognition
R834798C005 A National Study to Assess Susceptibility, Vulnerability, and Effect Modification of Air Pollution Health Risks
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.
Project Research Results
- Final Report
- 2015
- 2014 Progress Report
- 2013 Progress Report
- 2012 Progress Report
- 2011 Progress Report
- Original Abstract
36 journal articles for this subproject
Main Center: R834798
474 publications for this center
409 journal articles for this center