A study has demonstrated an association between personal
black carbon and ambulatory BP unraveling another layer of the relationship
between urbanization and hypertension
The air pollution and cardiometabolic disease
(AIRCMD-China) study conducted in 2012 in Beijing, China assessed
the personal black carbon using microaethalometers in patients with metabolic
syndrome for 5 consecutive days from February to July.
Black carbon is the sooty black material emitted from gas
and diesel engines, coal-fired power plants, and other sources that burn fossil
fuel. It constitutes a major part of particulate matter (EPA). It is also a marker of combustion-related anthropogenic air pollution
Simultaneous ambient fine particulate matter
concentration was obtained from the Beijing Municipal Environmental Monitoring
Center and the US Embassy.
On day 4 and onwards, 24-hour ambulatory BP and
variability in heart rate were measured. Arterial stiffness and endothelial
function were obtained at the end of day 5.
The mean (SD) of personal black carbon and fine
particulate matter during 24 hours was 4.66 (2.89) and 64.2 (36.9) μg/m3.
Exposure to high levels of black carbon in the preceding hours was associated
significantly with adverse cardiovascular responses.
A unit increase in personal black carbon during the
previous 10 hours was associated with an increase in systolic blood pressure of
0.53 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure of 0.37 mm Hg (95% confidence interval,
0.17–0.89 and 0.10–0.65 mm Hg, respectively), a percentage change in low
frequency to high frequency ratio of 5.11 and mean inter-beat interval of −0.06
(95% confidence interval, 0.62–9.60 and −0.11 to −0.01, respectively).
These findings highlight the public health effect of air
pollution and the importance of reducing air pollution.
(Source: Hypertension. 2014;63:871-7)
Dr KK Aggarwal
Padma Shri Awardee
President Elect Confederation of
Medical Associations in Asia and Oceania
(CMAAO)
Group
Editor-in-Chief IJCP Publications
President Heart
Care Foundation of India
Past National President
IMA
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