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A Systematic Review of the Short-Term Health Effects of Air Pollution in Persons Living with Coronary Heart Disease Warburton, Darren E. R.; Bredin, Shannon S. D.; Shellington, Erin M.; Cole, Christie; de Faye, Amanda Marie; Harris, Jennifer; Kim, David D.; Abelsohn, Alan

Abstract

Persons living with chronic medical conditions (such as coronary artery disease (CAD)) are thought to be at increased risk when exposed to air pollution. This systematic review critically evaluated the short-term health effects of air pollution in persons living with CAD. Original research articles were retrieved systematically through searching electronic databases (e.g., Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online (MEDLINE)), cross-referencing, and the authors’ knowledge. From 2884 individual citations, 26 eligible articles were identified. The majority of the investigations (18 of 22 (82%)) revealed a negative relationship between air pollutants and cardiac function or overall health. Heart rate variability (HRV) was the primary cardiovascular outcome measure, with 10 out of 13 studies reporting at least one index of HRV being significantly affected by air pollutants. However, there was some inconsistency in the relationship between HRV and air pollutants, mediated (at least in part) by the confounding effects of beta-blocker medications. In conclusion, there is strong evidence that air pollution can have adverse effects on cardiovascular function in persons living with CAD. All persons living with CAD should be educated on how to monitor air quality, should recognize the potential risks of excessive exposure to air pollution, and be aware of strategies to mitigate these risks. Persons living with CAD should minimize their exposure to air pollution by limiting outdoor physical activity participation when the forecast air quality health index indicates increased air pollution (i.e., an increased risk).

Item Metadata

Title
A Systematic Review of the Short-Term Health Effects of Air Pollution in Persons Living with Coronary Heart Disease
Creator
Warburton, Darren E. R.; Bredin, Shannon S. D.; Shellington, Erin M.; Cole, Christie; de Faye, Amanda Marie; Harris, Jennifer; Kim, David D.; Abelsohn, Alan
Contributor
University of British Columbia. Physical Activity Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention Unit; University of British Columbia. Laboratory for Knowledge Mobilization
Publisher
Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute
Date Issued
2019-02-24
Description
Persons living with chronic medical conditions (such as coronary artery disease (CAD)) are thought to be at increased risk when exposed to air pollution. This systematic review critically evaluated the short-term health effects of air pollution in persons living with CAD. Original research articles were retrieved systematically through searching electronic databases (e.g., Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online (MEDLINE)), cross-referencing, and the authors’ knowledge. From 2884 individual citations, 26 eligible articles were identified. The majority of the investigations (18 of 22 (82%)) revealed a negative relationship between air pollutants and cardiac function or overall health. Heart rate variability (HRV) was the primary cardiovascular outcome measure, with 10 out of 13 studies reporting at least one index of HRV being significantly affected by air pollutants. However, there was some inconsistency in the relationship between HRV and air pollutants, mediated (at least in part) by the confounding effects of beta-blocker medications. In conclusion, there is strong evidence that air pollution can have adverse effects on cardiovascular function in persons living with CAD. All persons living with CAD should be educated on how to monitor air quality, should recognize the potential risks of excessive exposure to air pollution, and be aware of strategies to mitigate these risks. Persons living with CAD should minimize their exposure to air pollution by limiting outdoor physical activity participation when the forecast air quality health index indicates increased air pollution (i.e., an increased risk).
Subject
Exercise; Air quality health index; Coronary artery disease
Genre
Article
Type
Text
Language
eng
Date Available
2019-05-08
Provider
Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
Rights
CC BY 4.0
DOI
10.14288/1.0378651
URI
http://hdl.handle.net/2429/70120
Affiliation
Education, Faculty of; Other UBC; Non UBC; Kinesiology, School of
Citation
Journal of Clinical Medicine 8 (2): 274 (2019)
Publisher DOI
10.3390/jcm8020274
Peer Review Status
Reviewed
Scholarly Level
Faculty
Rights URI
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
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CC BY 4.0