New Study Examines Potential Cause of Link Between CVD Risk and Air Pollution
Exposure to air pollution is adversely associated with levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), according to the results of a recent study.
In the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis Air Pollution (MESA) study, researchers examined the association between air pollution exposure and HDL-C and HDL particle number in 6654 individuals aged 45 to 84 years. Individual residential ambient fine particulate pollution exposure (PM2.5) and black carbon concentrations were estimated using a fine-scale likelihood-based spatiotemporal model and cohort-specific monitoring.
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The researchers used the cholesterol oxidase method and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to measure HDL-C and HDL particle number, respectively.
Overall, during a 3-month period, a 5 μg/m3 higher PM2.5 was associated with lower HDL particle number but not HDL-C. Over 1 year, a 0.7×10−6 m−1 higher exposure to black carbon was significantly associated with lower HDL-C, and approached significance with HDL particle number.
“These data are consistent with the hypothesis that exposure to air pollution is adversely associated with measures of HDL,” the researchers concluded.
—Michael Potts
Reference:
Bell G, Mora S, Greenland P, Tsai M, Gill E, Kaufman JD. Association of air pollution exposures with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and particle number [published online April 13, 2017]. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. doi:https://doi.org/10.1161/ATVBAHA.116.308193.