US EPA

13250 

Journal Article 

Daily concentrations of air pollution and plasma fibrinogen in London 

Pekkanen, J; Brunner, EJ; Anderson, HR; Tiittanen, P; Atkinson, RW 

2000 

Yes 

Occupational and Environmental Medicine
ISSN: 1351-0711
EISSN: 1470-7926 

57 

12 

818-822 

English 

11077010 

WOS:000165508200004 

Medical Research Council; British Heart Foundation; Health and Safety Executive; National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; National Institute of Ageing; Agency for Health Care Policy Research; New England Medical Centre Division of Health Improvement; Institute for Work and Health, Toronto; John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Research Networks on Successful Midlife Development and Socio-economic Status and Health. OBJECTIVES--The reason for the association between air pollution and risk of cardiovascular diseases is unknown. The hypothesis was examined that daily concentrations of air pollution are associated with daily concentrations of fibrinogen, a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. METHODS--Data on concentrations of plasma fibrinogen for 4982 male and 2223 female office workers, collected in a cross sectional survey in London between September 1991 and May 1993, were combined with data on concentrations of air pollution during the day of blood sampling and during the 3 preceding days. RESULTS--After adjustment for weather and other confounding factors, an increase in the 24 hour mean NO2 during the previous day from the 10th to the 90th percentile (61.7 "mu"g/m3) was associated with a 1.5% (95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.4% to 2.5%) higher fibrinogen concentration. The respective increase for CO (1.6 mg/m3) was 1.5% (95% CI 0.5%, 2.5%). These associations tended to be stronger in the warm season (April to September). Significant associations were found for black smoke and particulate matter of diameter 10 "mu"m (PM10) only in the warm season. No association with fibrinogen was found for SO2 or ozone. CONCLUSIONS--The short term association between air pollution, possibly from traffic, and risk of cardiovascular events may be at least partly mediated through increased concentrations of plasma fibrinogen, possibly due to an inflammatory reaction caused by air pollution. 

air pollution; fibrinogen; haemostatic factors