nitrogen-dioxide and Angina-Pectoris

Ambient air pollution has been associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. In Reykjavik, Iceland, air pollutant concentrations exceed official health limits several times every year. The aim was to study the association of concentrations of NO2, O3, PM10, and H2S in the Reykjavik capital area with the dispensing of anti-angina pectoris medication, glyceryl trinitrate to the inhabitants.. Data on daily dispensing of glyceryl trinitrate, were retrieved from the Icelandic Medicines Registry. Data on hourly concentrations of NO2, O3, PM10, and H2S were obtained from the Environment Agency of Iceland. A case-crossover design was used, based on the dispensing of glyceryl trinitrate to 5,246 individuals (≥18 years) between 2005 and 2009.. For every 10 μg/m3 increase of NO2 and O3 3-day mean concentrations, the odds ratio (OR) for daily dispensing of glyceryl trinitrates was 1.136 (95% confidence intervals (CI) 1.069-1.207) and 1.094 (95% CI 1.029-1.163) at lag 0, and OR was 1.096 (95% CI 1.029-1.168) and 1.094 (95% CI 1.028-1.166) at lag 1, respectively.. These findings suggest that NO2 and O3 ambient air concentrations may adversely affect cardiovascular health, as measured by the dispensing of glyceryl trinitrates for angina pectoris. Further, the findings suggest that data on the dispensing of medication may be a valuable health indicator when studying the effect of air pollution on cardiovascular morbidity.

Topics: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Air Pollutants; Angina Pectoris; Case-Control Studies; Cross-Over Studies; Environmental Monitoring; Female; Humans; Hydrogen Sulfide; Iceland; Inhalation Exposure; Logistic Models; Male; Middle Aged; Nitrogen Dioxide; Nitroglycerin; Ozone; Particulate Matter; Registries; Seasons; Urban Population; Vasodilator Agents

Ambient air pollution has been associated with increases in acute morbidity and mortality. The objective of this study was to evaluate the short-term effects of urban air pollution on cardiac hospital readmissions in survivors of myocardial infarction, a potentially susceptible subpopulation.. In this European multicenter cohort study, 22,006 survivors of a first myocardial infarction were recruited in Augsburg, Germany; Barcelona, Spain; Helsinki, Finland; Rome, Italy; and Stockholm, Sweden, from 1992 to 2000. Hospital readmissions were recorded in 1992 to 2001. Ambient nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, ozone, and mass of particles <10 microm (PM10) were measured. Particle number concentrations were estimated as a proxy for ultrafine particles. Short-term effects of air pollution on hospital readmissions for myocardial infarction, angina pectoris, and cardiac causes (myocardial infarction, angina pectoris, dysrhythmia, or heart failure) were studied in city-specific Poisson regression analyses with subsequent pooling. During follow-up, 6655 cardiac readmissions were observed. Cardiac readmissions increased in association with same-day concentrations of PM10 (rate ratio [RR] 1.021, 95% CI 1.004 to 1.039) per 10 microg/m3) and estimated particle number concentrations (RR 1.026 [95% CI 1.005 to 1.048] per 10,000 particles/cm3). Effects of similar strength were observed for carbon monoxide (RR 1.014 [95% CI 1.001 to 1.026] per 200 microg/m3 [0.172 ppm]), nitrogen dioxide (RR 1.032 [95% CI 1.013 to 1.051] per 8 microg/m3 [4.16 ppb]), and ozone (RR 1.026 [95% CI 1.001 to 1.051] per 15 microg/m3 [7.5 ppb]). Pooled effect estimates for angina pectoris and myocardial infarction readmissions were comparable.. The results suggest that ambient air pollution is associated with increased risk of hospital cardiac readmissions of myocardial infarction survivors in 5 European cities.

Topics: Adult; Air Pollutants; Angina Pectoris; Carbon Monoxide; Europe; History, 18th Century; Humans; Middle Aged; Myocardial Infarction; Nitrogen Dioxide; Ozone; Patient Readmission; Poisson Distribution; Regression Analysis; Risk Factors; Survivors