Association between ambient fine particulate matter with blood pressure levels among Iranian individuals admitted for cardiac and respiratory diseases: Data from CAPACITY study

Alireza Khosravi; Hamid Reza Rajabi; Mehrbod Vakhshoori; Katayoun Rabiei; Seyed Mohsen Hosseini; Asieh Mansouri; Farshad Roghani-Dehkordi; Jamshid Najafian; Mojtaba Rahimi; Tohid Jafari-Koshki; Babak Sadeghian; Mansour Shishehforoush; Ahmadreza Lahijanzadeh; Marzieh Taheri; Nizal Sarrafzadegan

doi:10.22122/arya.v16i4.2032

Association between ambient fine particulate matter with blood pressure levels among Iranian individuals admitted for cardiac and respiratory diseases: Data from CAPACITY study

ARYA Atheroscler. 2020 Jul;16(4):178-184. doi: 10.22122/arya.v16i4.2032.

Authors

Alireza Khosravi¹, Hamid Reza Rajabi², Mehrbod Vakhshoori³, Katayoun Rabiei⁴, Seyed Mohsen Hosseini⁵, Asieh Mansouri⁶, Farshad Roghani-Dehkordi⁷, Jamshid Najafian⁸, Mojtaba Rahimi⁹, Tohid Jafari-Koshki¹⁰, Babak Sadeghian¹¹, Mansour Shishehforoush¹², Ahmadreza Lahijanzadeh¹³, Marzieh Taheri¹⁴, Nizal Sarrafzadegan¹⁵

Affiliations

¹ Professor, Hypertension Research Center, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
² Cardiac Rehabilitation Research Center, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
³ General Practitioner, Heart Failure Research Center, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
⁴ General Practitioner, Pediatric Cardiovascular Research Center, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
⁵ Professor, Department of Biostatics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
⁶ Assistant Professor, Applied Physiology Research Center, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
⁷ Professor, Interventional Cardiology Research Center, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
⁸ Associate Professor, Hypertension Research Center, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
⁹ Associate Professor, Department of Anesthesiology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
¹⁰ Molecular Medicine Research Center, Department of Statistics and Epidemiology, School of Health, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
¹¹ Central Laboratory and Air Pollution Monitoring, Isfahan Province Environmental Monitoring Center, Isfahan Department of Environment, Isfahan, Iran.
¹² Isfahan Disaster Management Office, Isfahan Governor Office, Isfahan, Iran.
¹³ Khouzestan Department of Environment, Ahvaz, Iran.
¹⁴ Hypertension Research Center, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
¹⁵ Professor, Isfahan Cardiovascular Research Center, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.

Abstract

Background: The relation between air pollution and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) risk factors, especially blood pressure (BP) levels, has been less frequently assessed. The aim of this study was evaluating the association between air pollutants of less than 2.5 µm [particulate matter (PM2.5)] and BP indices among individuals admitted with CVDs and pulmonary diseases.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was in context of air pollution associated with hospitalization and mortality of CVDs and respiratory diseases (CAPACITY) study. Data of 792 Iranian patients referring to two hospitals in Isfahan, Iran, for cardiovascular or respiratory problems from March 2011 to March 2012 were used for analysis. BP indices including systolic BP (SBP), diastolic BP (DBP), and mean arterial pressure (MAP) were obtained from patients' medical forms and mean PM2.5 concentrations during 24 hours prior to admission of each patient were obtained from Isfahan Department of Environment (DOE).

Results: Mean ± standard deviation (SD) of participants' age were 62.5 ± 15.9 years. All BP indices on admission were significantly higher in women compared with men. Adjustment of all potential confounders including age, sex, temperature, wind speed, and dew point revealed that increasing one quartile in PM2.5 concentrations had been associated with 1.98 mmHg raising in SBP at the time of admission [95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.41-3.54, P = 0.010]. Women with cardiac diseases had higher all BP indices with increased PM2.5 concentration [SBP: β: 4.30, 95% CI = 0.90-7.70, P = 0.010; DBP: β: 1.89, 95% CI = 0.09-3.69, P = 0.040; MAP: β: 3.09, 95% CI = 0.68-5.51, P= 0.010, respectively).

Conclusion: Our findings suggest that increasing PM2.5 concentration has been positively associated with raising SBP in total population and all BP indices among women with cardiac problems at admission time. Several comprehensive studies are required for confirming these relations.

Keywords: Air Pollutants; Air Pollution; Blood Pressure; Particulate Matter.