Long-term exposure to ambient air pollution and traffic noise and incident hypertension in seven cohorts of the European study of cohorts for air pollution effects (ESCAPE)

• Published in: European heart journal 2017-04, Vol.38 (13), p.983-990
• Main Authors: Fuks, Kateryna B, Weinmayr, Gudrun, Basagaña, Xavier, Gruzieva, Olena, Hampel, Regina, Oftedal, Bente, Sørensen, Mette, Wolf, Kathrin, Aamodt, Geir, Aasvang, Gunn Marit, Aguilera, Inmaculada, Becker, Thomas, Beelen, Rob, Brunekreef, Bert, Caracciolo, Barbara, Cyrys, Josef, Elosua, Roberto, Eriksen, Kirsten Thorup, Foraster, Maria, Fratiglioni, Laura, Hilding, Agneta, Houthuijs, Danny, Korek, Michal, Künzli, Nino, Marrugat, Jaume, Nieuwenhuijsen, Mark, Östenson, Claes-Göran, Penell, Johanna, Pershagen, Göran, Raaschou-Nielsen, Ole, Swart, Wim J R, Peters, Annette, Hoffmann, Barbara
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Air Pollutants - adverse effects; Air Pollutants - analysis; Air pollution; Air Pollution - adverse effects; Air Pollution - analysis; Antihypertensive Agents - therapeutic use; Europe - epidemiology; Female; Humans; Hypertension; Hypertension - drug therapy; Hypertension - epidemiology; Hypertension - etiology; Incidence; Male; Medicin och hälsovetenskap; Meta-analysis; Middle Aged; Nitrogen oxides; Noise, Transportation - adverse effects; Particulate matter; Particulate Matter - adverse effects; Particulate Matter - analysis; Prognosis; Prospective Studies; Road traffic noise; Self Report
• ISSN: 0195-668X; 1522-9645; 1522-9645
• DOI: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehw413

We investigated whether traffic-related air pollution and noise are associated with incident hypertension in European cohorts. We included seven cohorts of the European study of cohorts for air pollution effects (ESCAPE). We modelled concentrations of particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter ≤2.5 µm (PM2.5), ≤10 µm (PM10), >2.5, and ≤10 µm (PMcoarse), soot (PM2.5 absorbance), and nitrogen oxides at the addresses of participants with land use regression. Residential exposure to traffic noise was modelled at the facade according to the EU Directive 2002/49/EC. We assessed hypertension as (i) self-reported and (ii) measured (systolic BP ≥ 140 mmHg or diastolic BP ≥ 90 mmHg or intake of BP lowering medication (BPLM). We used Poisson regression with robust variance estimation to analyse associations of traffic-related exposures with incidence of hypertension, controlling for relevant confounders, and combined the results from individual studies with random-effects meta-analysis. Among 41 072 participants free of self-reported hypertension at baseline, 6207 (15.1%) incident cases occurred within 5-9 years of follow-up. Incidence of self-reported hypertension was positively associated with PM2.5 (relative risk (RR) 1.22 [95%-confidence interval (CI):1.08; 1.37] per 5 µg/m³) and PM2.5 absorbance (RR 1.13 [95% CI:1.02; 1.24] per 10 - 5m - 1). These estimates decreased slightly upon adjustment for road traffic noise. Road traffic noise was weakly positively associated with the incidence of self-reported hypertension. Among 10 896 participants at risk, 3549 new cases of measured hypertension occurred. We found no clear associations with measured hypertension. Long-term residential exposures to air pollution and noise are associated with increased incidence of self-reported hypertension.