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Heart 95:1746-1759 doi:10.1136/hrt.2009.175018
  • Systematic reviews

Effects of air pollution on the incidence of myocardial infarction

Table 4

Studies of long-term effects of air pollution on myocardial infarction (MI) outcomes

First author and year of publication Population/data source Location and time period Number of MI events Air pollution exposure variable(s) MI ascertainment Result
Cohort studies
Miller 200729 Cohort of postmenopausal women aged 50–79 years 36 cities, USA 1994–8 584 (cohort size  = 65 893) Average annual exposure to PM2.5* From annual questionnaires and national death index; independently adjudicated by investigator PM2.5 (Hazard ratio)1.06 (0.85 to 1.34) Per 10 μg/m3 increase
Abbey 199330 Cohort of seventh-day Adventists California, USA 1977–82 62 (cohort size  = 6303) Average and cumulative exposure to ambient NO2 estimated for places of residence/work* From hospital records; reviewed by a cardiologist on the study staff NO2 “No association” (details not reported)
Abbey 199131 Cohort of seventh-day Adventists California, USA 1977–82 62 (cohort size  = 6303) Cumulative exposure to total suspended particles (TSP), and O3* over a 5-year period before follow-up From hospital records; reviewed by a cardiologist on the study staff TSP (Hazard ratio)0.93 (0.57 to 1.51) ⩾1000 vs <1000 h exposure to 200 μg/m3
O3 1.06 (0.69 to 1.61) ⩾500 vs <500 h exposure to 10 pphm
Case–control studies
Tonne 200732 Cases from community-based MI study; population controls Worcester, Massachusetts, USA 1995–2003 5049 (controls  = 10 277) Cumulative traffic at place of residence (average daily traffic within 100 m multiplied by total length of road) AMI reviewed and independently validated according to diagnostic criteria Cumulative traffic (Odds ratio)1.04 (1.02 to1.07) Per 794 vehicle-km
Rosenlund 200633 Cases (aged 45–70 years) from coronary and intensive care unit discharge registers and death certificate data; population controls Stockholm, Sweden 1992–4 (exposure estimated over 30 years before events) 1397 (controls  = 1870) 30-Year mean annual NO2, CO, SO2 modelled from source-specific emissions database PM estimated in 2000 and assumed constant From coronary units, ICUs, hospital discharge register, death certificates using standard diagnostic criteria PM10CONO2SO2 (Odds ratios)1.0 (0.79 to 1.27)1.04 (0.89 to 1.21)0.99 (0.76 to 1.30)1.03 (0.78 to 1.36) Per 5 μg/m3 increasePer 300 μg/m3 increasePer 30 μg/m3 increasePer 40 μg/m3 increase
Grazuleviciene 200434 Cases (aged 25–64 years) from coronary and intensive care discharge registers; population controls Kaunas, Lithuania 1997–2000 448 (controls  = 1777) NO2 exposure in district of residence (categorised into high/medium/low tertiles) Records with ICD10 codes of I21 and consistent symptoms, ECG, marker levels NO2 (Odds ratios)1.00 (ref)1.43 (1.04 to 1.96)1.43 (1.07 to 1.35) Low (mean 13.1 μg/m3)Medium (mean 18.7 μg/m3)High (mean 24.7 μg/m3)
Population-based studies
Rosenlund 200835 Hospital discharge registry and regional cause of death registry Rome, Italy 1998–2000 1056 (fatal) + 6513 (non-fatal) Mean annual NO2 exposure Records with ICD9 codes of 410 NO2 (Relative risk)1.05 (0.97 to 1.15) fatal1.01 (0.97 to 1.05) non-fatal Per 10 μg/m3 increasePer 10 μg/m3 increase
  • *Based on measured data from monitoring stations.

  • AMI, acute myocardial infarction; ICU, intensive care unit.

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