Risk for Arterial Hypertension Up With Air Pollutant Exposure

For individuals living in multistory houses (MH), residential exposure to air pollutants is associated with an increased risk for arterial hypertension (AH), according to a study published online in the Journal of Public Health.

Agne Braziene, from the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences in Kaunas, and colleagues examined the correlations between long-term exposure to ambient air pollution and residential distance to green spaces and major roads and the development of AH and metabolic syndrome components among 1,354 participants from a population study. Exposures to particulate matter (PM) 10 µm or less in diameter (PM10), PM2.5, and nitrogen dioxide levels were assessed.

The researchers found that for participants living in MH, the risk for AH was higher with residential distance to a major road closer than 200 m and residential exposure to PM10 and PM2.5 levels above the median (adjusted relative risks [RRs], 1.41, 1.19, and 1.27, respectively). Residential exposure to a PM10 level above the median correlated with an increased risk for reduced high-density lipoprotein (RHDL; RR, 1.46) among these participants. Only in participants who lived in MH was there a negative impact of the traffic air pollutants on the incidence of AH, RHDL cholesterol, and high triglyceride (TG) levels.

"Our findings highlight the importance of the living environment and its effect on AH and TG risks, especially for those living in MH," the authors write.

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