Exposure to black carbon can dramatically raise systolic blood pressure (top number). Black carbon is the common pollutant emitted from car and truck tail pipes and also occurs from cooking and heating fuels used inside homes. Seventy-six individuals between ages 18 and 44 years were involved in the study. Homes were equipped with air testing devices to measure levels of black carbon. Average systolic blood pressure was 125.39 but would rise 7.55 points for each 1 ug/m3 increase in black carbon. Black carbon levels in the homes ranged from below 1 to over 8 ug/m3, thereby demonstrating systolic blood pressure could potentially rise dramatically from higher levels of black carbon exposure.
ABSTRACT
Background:
Exposure to black carbon indoors may be associated with blood pressure; however, evidence is limited to vulnerable subpopulations and highly exposed individuals. Our objective was to explore the relationship between indoor black carbon at various exposure windows on resting blood pressure in a general population sample.
Methods:
Black carbon was measured in the home of 76 individuals aged 10–71 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Exposure was measured every 1 minute for up to 120 hours using an AE51 microaethalometer. Systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure were measured at the conclusion of exposure monitoring.
Results:
In adjusted models, at all exposure windows, increasing black carbon was associated with increased systolic blood pressure. The period 0–72 hours prior to blood pressure measurement showed the strongest effect; a 1 μg/m3 increase in black carbon was associated with a 7.55 mm Hg (P = .02) increase in systolic blood pressure. The relationship was stronger in participants reporting doctor-diagnosed hypertension (β = 6.47 vs β = 3.27). Black carbon was not associated with diastolic blood pressure.
Conclusion:
Increasing black carbon concentration indoors is positively associated with increasing systolic blood pressure with the most relevant exposure window being 0–72 hours prior to blood pressure measurement. Individuals with hypertension may be a more susceptible population.
1 |. INTRODUCTION
Exposure to ambient air pollution, in particular to particulate less than 2.5 μm in diameter (PM2.5), is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The detrimental effects of exposure are in large part due to its impact on cardiovascular disease (CVD).1 Cardiovascular mortality and morbidity have been found to be associated with short-term and chronic exposure to PM2.5 in studies conducted throughout the world.2–4 The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that in 2016, 4.2 million premature deaths resulted from exposure to air pollution with a large portion of those deaths being due to CVD.5,6 Exposure to PM2.5 may also contribute to elevated blood pressure, a precursor to CVD, and the leading risk factor for morbidity and mortality worldwide.7,8