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ABSTRACT: Background
Short-term exposure to air pollution has been associated with changes in blood pressure (BP) and emergency department visits for hypertension, but little is known about the effects of long-term exposure to traffic-related air pollution on BP and hypertension.Objectives
We studied whether long-term exposure to air pollution is associated with BP and hypertension.Methods
In 1993-1997, 57,053 participants 50-64 years of age were enrolled in a population-based cohort study. Systolic and diastolic BP (SBP and DBP, respectively) were measured at enrollment. Self-reported incident hypertension during a mean follow-up of 5.3 years was assessed by questionnaire. We used a validated dispersion model to estimate residential long-term nitrogen oxides (NO(x)), a marker of traffic-related air pollution, for the 1- and 5-year periods prior to enrollment and before a diagnosis of hypertension. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of associations between air pollution and BP at enrollment with linear regression, adjusting for traffic noise, measured short-term NO(x), temperature, relative humidity, and potential lifestyle confounders (n = 44,436). We analyzed incident hypertension with Cox regression, adjusting for traffic noise and potential confounders.Results
A doubling of NO(x) exposure during 1- and 5-year periods preceding enrollment was associated with 0.53-mmHg decreases [95% confidence interval (CI): -0.88, -0.19 mmHg] and 0.50-mmHg decreases (95% CI: -0.84, -0.16 mmHg) in SBP, respectively. Long-term exposure also was associated with a lower prevalence of baseline self-reported hypertension (per doubling of 5-year mean NO(x): odds ratio = 0.96; 95% CI: 0.91, 1.00), whereas long-term NO(x) exposure was not associated with incident self-reported hypertension during follow-up.Conclusions
Long-term exposure to traffic-related air pollution was associated with a slightly lower prevalence of BP at baseline, but was not associated with incident hypertension.
SUBMITTER: Sorensen M
PROVIDER: S-EPMC3295339 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Mar
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Sørensen Mette M Hoffmann Barbara B Hvidberg Martin M Ketzel Matthias M Jensen Steen Solvang SS Andersen Zorana Jovanovic ZJ Tjønneland Anne A Overvad Kim K Raaschou-Nielsen Ole O
Environmental health perspectives 20120103 3
<h4>Background</h4>Short-term exposure to air pollution has been associated with changes in blood pressure (BP) and emergency department visits for hypertension, but little is known about the effects of long-term exposure to traffic-related air pollution on BP and hypertension.<h4>Objectives</h4>We studied whether long-term exposure to air pollution is associated with BP and hypertension.<h4>Methods</h4>In 1993-1997, 57,053 participants 50-64 years of age were enrolled in a population-based coho ...[more]