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Unraveling Air Pollution’s Toll on the Heart: Emission Sources, Risk Factors, and Lung Nexus
Citation:
Farraj, A. Unraveling Air Pollution’s Toll on the Heart: Emission Sources, Risk Factors, and Lung Nexus. Virtual Invited Presentation to the BHF Centre for Cardiovascular Science at University of Edinburgh of the UK, RTP, NC Virtual, NC, September 02, 2021.
Impact/Purpose:
This virtual talk will be presented to the BHF Centre for Cardiovascular Science at University of Edinburgh of the UK. This is an invited presentation (invited by Mark Miller). The purpose of this talk is to discuss research findings with colleagues in Europe who perform related research. The hope is that this talk will foster exchange of ideas and insight to improve future respective research efforts.
Description:
Air pollution inhalation continues to exact a substantial public health burden, driven largely by adverse cardiovascular outcomes. The precise reasons accounting for this are unclear, but may relate to new and emerging sources of air pollution, the increasing prevalence of intrinsic and extrinsic factors that elevate risk, and lingering uncertainty regarding the identity of the chemical constituents and biological mechanisms that mediate such responses. This seminar will address these data gaps by discussing 1) cardiovascular effects of traffic- and wildland fire-related air pollution as well as the impacts of exposure on responsiveness to day-to-day stressors in healthy and susceptible groups, 2) the role of sensory mechanisms and the autonomic nervous system, and 3) development of higher throughput models using zebrafish to predict irritancy and cardiotoxicity potential of chemical constituents of air pollution. Blood pressure and electrocardiogram telemetry and cardiac mechanics data in experimental models are linked with epidemiological findings where possible.