Carbon Monoxide and Cardiovascular Disease in the Elderly
Michelle L. Bell, Ph.D.
Yale University
NIEHS Grant R01ES015028
Low-dose exposure to the acutely poisonous gas carbon monoxide, even at levels far below national exposure limits, is associated with increased risk of adverse cardiovascular outcomes in elderly persons requiring hospitalization. This report comes from NIEHS grantee, Michelle Bell of Yale University and her colleagues Jonathan Samet of the University of Southern California and Francesca Dominici of John’s Hopkins University. Bell is the recipient of an Outstanding New Environmental Scientist award from NIEHS.
The research team conducted an epidemiologic investigation of 126 urban communities across the U.S. The study results show that with each one part per million increase in the maximum daily one-hour exposure to carbon monoxide, the risk of hospitalization due to cardiovascular disease increases about one percent in people over age 65.
This evidence suggests that the currently accepted regulatory level of carbon monoxide may still be posing a health risk at least for this vulnerable population. The study indicates that as carbon monoxide levels rose, the risk of hospitalization increased. The findings were based on the analysis of hospital records for more than 9 million Medicare recipients matched to data on air pollution levels and weather from 1999 through 2005.
The research team points out that additional research is necessary to determine if the observed effect is due to exposure to carbon monoxide alone or in combination with other traffic-related pollutants. However, this study points toward a “positive and statistically significant association” between same-day carbon monoxide levels and increased risk for hospitalization for multiple cardiovascular diseases such as ischemic heart disease, heart rhythm irregularities, heart failure, and stroke.
Citation: Bell ML, Peng RD, Dominici F, Samet JM. Emergency Hospital Admissions for Cardiovascular Diseases and Ambient Levels of Carbon Monoxide. Results for 126 United States Urban Counties, 1999-2005. Circulation. 2009 Aug 31.
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