17 Dec University Minnesota Study Finds Air Pollution Associated with Greater Risk of Venous Embolism

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:

Dr. Lutsey

Pamela L Lutsey PhD, MPH
Professor, Division of Epidemiology & Community Health
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?

Response: Air pollution is ubiquitous. In order to understand the impact of exposure on health, it is necessary to look across diverse health conditions. Associations with lung disease and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease are more established. Less is known about the role of air pollution exposure on coagulation and venous thromboembolism (VTE).

MedicalResearch.com: Are individuals less ambulatory in heavily polluted areas?

The study did not address this question directly. The association did persist across a wide range of subgroups of the sample, including those who were not smokers and who had no evidence of lung disease.

MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings?

Response:  Compared with participants who were at the 25th percentile of air pollution exposure (that is, whose exposure was at the 25th percentile of the whole population’s exposure levels), those at the 75th percentile had a 43% greater risk of hospitalization for a VTE when exposed to fine particulate matter, a 2.8-fold greater risk when exposed to nitrogen dioxide, and a 2.3-fold risk when exposed to nitric oxide. Exposure to ozone was not associated with an increased risk for VTE.

MedicalResearch.com: What should readers take away from your report?

Response: Our findings add to accumulating evidence of adverse health effects attributed to air pollution exposure. This study supports the case for global efforts of pollution reduction to curtail pollution-related adverse health outcomes, which we demonstrate includes risk of VTE.

Any disclosures? None

The research is part of the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA), with funding from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Citation: Lutsey PL, Misialek JR, Young MT, Berman JD, Leiser C, Pope ZC, Cushman M, Folsom AR, Kaufman JD. Air pollution is associated with increased risk of venous thromboembolism: the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis. Blood. 2024 Dec 9:blood.2024026399. doi: 10.1182/blood.2024026399. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39652776.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39652776/

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Last Updated on December 17, 2024 by Marie Benz MD FAAD