Research Projects

Findings in cohort and time series studies suggest that PM2.5 air pollution is associated with increases in cardiovascular hospitalization and mortality. Individuals at greatest risk include elderly individuals with pre-existing cardiovascular disease or other diseases that place them at high risk for myocardial infarction or stroke. NIEHS has sponsored a major health assessment study to determine how the elderly are harmed by exposures to PM in four sites in the Los Angeles area. These areas were selected to assess the health effects near to and far from traffic. ARB and SCAQMD co-funded an extension of this study to conduct extensive monitoring of personal, indoor, and outdoor pollutant levels to refine the relationships between exposure and cardiovascular health outcomes. The proposed study would build upon that study to more fully investigate how one factor of cardiovascular impact, heart rate variability (HRV), is impacted by fine and ultrafine PM exposure. Examination of HRV data could provide more information regarding the nature of risks that the elderly experience and how mortality may be driven by environmental exposures to ultrafine PM. This study would be funded by ARB and SCAQMD if approved by both Boards.