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Exposure to Air Pollution and Particle Radioactivity With the Risk of Ventricular Arrhythmias

Peralta, Adjani A ; Link, Mark S ; Schwartz, Joel ; Luttmann-Gibson, Heike ; Dockery, Douglas W ; Blomberg, Annelise LU orcid ; Wei, Yaguang ; Mittleman, Murray A ; Gold, Diane R and Laden, Francine , et al. (2020) In Circulation 142(9). p.858-867
Abstract

BACKGROUND: Individuals are exposed to air pollution and ionizing radiation from natural sources through inhalation of particles. This study investigates the association between cardiac arrhythmias and short-term exposures to fine particulate matter (particulate matter ≤2.5 µm aerodynamic diameter; PM2.5) and particle radioactivity.

METHODS: Ventricular arrhythmic events were identified among 176 patients with dual-chamber implanted cardioverter-defibrillators in Boston, Massachusetts between September 2006 and June 2010. Patients were assigned exposures based on residential addresses. Daily PM2.5 levels were estimated at 1-km×1-km grid cells from a previously validated prediction model. Particle gross β activity was used as a... (More)

BACKGROUND: Individuals are exposed to air pollution and ionizing radiation from natural sources through inhalation of particles. This study investigates the association between cardiac arrhythmias and short-term exposures to fine particulate matter (particulate matter ≤2.5 µm aerodynamic diameter; PM2.5) and particle radioactivity.

METHODS: Ventricular arrhythmic events were identified among 176 patients with dual-chamber implanted cardioverter-defibrillators in Boston, Massachusetts between September 2006 and June 2010. Patients were assigned exposures based on residential addresses. Daily PM2.5 levels were estimated at 1-km×1-km grid cells from a previously validated prediction model. Particle gross β activity was used as a surrogate for particle radioactivity and was measured from several monitoring sites by the US Environmental Protection Agency's monitoring network. The association of the onset of ventricular arrhythmias (VA) with 0- to 21-day moving averages of PM2.5 and particle radioactivity (2 single-pollutant models and a 2-pollutant model) before the event was examined using time-stratified case-crossover analyses, adjusted for dew point and air temperatures.

RESULTS: A total of 1,050 VA were recorded among 91 patients, including 123 sustained VA among 25 of these patients. In the single-pollutant model of PM2.5, each interquartile range increase in daily PM2.5 levels for a 21-day moving average was associated with 39% higher odds of a VA event (95% CI, 12%-72%). In the single-pollutant model of particle radioactivity, each interquartile range increase in particle radioactivity for a 2-day moving average was associated with 13% higher odds of a VA event (95% CI, 1%-26%). In the 2-pollutant model, for the same averaging window of 21 days, each interquartile range increase in daily PM2.5 was associated with an 48% higher odds of a VA event (95% CI, 15%-90%), and each interquartile range increase of particle radioactivity with a 10% lower odds of a VA event (95% CI, -29% to 14%). We found that with higher levels of particle radioactivity, the effect of PM2.5 on VAs is reduced.

CONCLUSIONS: In this high-risk population, intermediate (21-day) PM2.5 exposure was associated with higher odds of a VA event onset among patients with known cardiac disease and indication for implanted cardioverter-defibrillator implantation independently of particle radioactivity.

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publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Air Pollution/adverse effects, Arrhythmias, Cardiac/epidemiology, Boston/epidemiology, Environmental Exposure/adverse effects, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Models, Cardiovascular, Particulate Matter/adverse effects, Radiation Injuries/complications
in
Circulation
volume
142
issue
9
pages
858 - 867
publisher
Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
external identifiers
  • pmid:32795087
  • scopus:85090172797
ISSN
1524-4539
DOI
10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.120.046321
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
f7fbd0ad-e7a2-47b2-b7da-989ac5ab02eb
date added to LUP
2021-09-09 11:41:57
date last changed
2024-05-18 14:32:09
@article{f7fbd0ad-e7a2-47b2-b7da-989ac5ab02eb,
  abstract     = {{<p>BACKGROUND: Individuals are exposed to air pollution and ionizing radiation from natural sources through inhalation of particles. This study investigates the association between cardiac arrhythmias and short-term exposures to fine particulate matter (particulate matter ≤2.5 µm aerodynamic diameter; PM2.5) and particle radioactivity.</p><p>METHODS: Ventricular arrhythmic events were identified among 176 patients with dual-chamber implanted cardioverter-defibrillators in Boston, Massachusetts between September 2006 and June 2010. Patients were assigned exposures based on residential addresses. Daily PM2.5 levels were estimated at 1-km×1-km grid cells from a previously validated prediction model. Particle gross β activity was used as a surrogate for particle radioactivity and was measured from several monitoring sites by the US Environmental Protection Agency's monitoring network. The association of the onset of ventricular arrhythmias (VA) with 0- to 21-day moving averages of PM2.5 and particle radioactivity (2 single-pollutant models and a 2-pollutant model) before the event was examined using time-stratified case-crossover analyses, adjusted for dew point and air temperatures.</p><p>RESULTS: A total of 1,050 VA were recorded among 91 patients, including 123 sustained VA among 25 of these patients. In the single-pollutant model of PM2.5, each interquartile range increase in daily PM2.5 levels for a 21-day moving average was associated with 39% higher odds of a VA event (95% CI, 12%-72%). In the single-pollutant model of particle radioactivity, each interquartile range increase in particle radioactivity for a 2-day moving average was associated with 13% higher odds of a VA event (95% CI, 1%-26%). In the 2-pollutant model, for the same averaging window of 21 days, each interquartile range increase in daily PM2.5 was associated with an 48% higher odds of a VA event (95% CI, 15%-90%), and each interquartile range increase of particle radioactivity with a 10% lower odds of a VA event (95% CI, -29% to 14%). We found that with higher levels of particle radioactivity, the effect of PM2.5 on VAs is reduced.</p><p>CONCLUSIONS: In this high-risk population, intermediate (21-day) PM2.5 exposure was associated with higher odds of a VA event onset among patients with known cardiac disease and indication for implanted cardioverter-defibrillator implantation independently of particle radioactivity.</p>}},
  author       = {{Peralta, Adjani A and Link, Mark S and Schwartz, Joel and Luttmann-Gibson, Heike and Dockery, Douglas W and Blomberg, Annelise and Wei, Yaguang and Mittleman, Murray A and Gold, Diane R and Laden, Francine and Coull, Brent A and Koutrakis, Petros}},
  issn         = {{1524-4539}},
  keywords     = {{Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Air Pollution/adverse effects; Arrhythmias, Cardiac/epidemiology; Boston/epidemiology; Environmental Exposure/adverse effects; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Models, Cardiovascular; Particulate Matter/adverse effects; Radiation Injuries/complications}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{9}},
  pages        = {{858--867}},
  publisher    = {{Lippincott Williams & Wilkins}},
  series       = {{Circulation}},
  title        = {{Exposure to Air Pollution and Particle Radioactivity With the Risk of Ventricular Arrhythmias}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.120.046321}},
  doi          = {{10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.120.046321}},
  volume       = {{142}},
  year         = {{2020}},
}