|
HEAPSS - Health Effects of Air
Pollution on Susceptible Subpopulations - traditional air pollutants, ultrafine
particles and myocardial infarction: database and health assessment.
The proposed study will provide
increased knowledge for better assessment of the consequences for public health
from the current levels of air pollution in Stockholm, including the importance
of ultrafine particles, as well as a better basis for risk assessment in the
chronically ill.
Several studies have found a
relation between daily variations in air pollution and health effetcs, including
myocardial infarction (MI). It is however still uncertain in which segments of
the population the effect has most impact. Persons with an existing illness can
be assumed to constitute such a sensitive group. The aim of this project is to
study how short-term exposure to air pollution affects the risk for
hospitalization (for e.g. MI) and mortality in population based cohorts of
survivors of a first time MI, compared to e.g. the risk for MI in the general
population.
Approximately 29,000 cases of
non-fatal MI will be identified through existing MI-registers (in Augsburg,
Germany, Barcelona, Spain and Stockholm, Sweden) or through data on hospital
admissions (in Helsinki, Finland and Rome, Italy). Each patient is followed for
at least one year with regards to renewed hospital admission for MI or death,
especially "sudden death". Since the study is based on an individual
level, we will be able to investigate which properties in these patients
increase their sensitivity to air pollution. A common protocol in the five
cities will be used for data collection and standardized simultaneous
measurements of ultrafine particles will be performed using the CPC TSI 3022
instrument. The ultrafine measurements will be performed in collaboration with
the PASTA project. These measurements will be the basis for retrospective
estimation of the exposure to ultrafine particles for the entire study period.
The main method for data analysis will be the case-crossover design, originally
developed to study triggers for disease onset, which has recently been applied
in studies of the effects of air pollution. The design allows both for
confounding control and effect modification.
The results will be published in
the scientific literature and will be presented at national and international
conferences. A special presentation for EU and national agencies is planned, as
well as information to the public.
|
|
