American Heart Association Issues Scientific Statement on Air Pollution, June 1, 2004
Exposure to air pollution contributes to the development of cardiovascular diseases, according to a new American Heart Association scientific statement published in the journal Circulation. The statement calls for EPA to expedite the attainment of existing National Ambient Air Quality Standards, and to strengthen the air quality standards for PM2.5.
A panel of experts conducted a comprehensive review of almost 200 scientific studies on air pollution and cardiovascular disease — including heart attacks, abnormal heart rhythms, strokes, hardening of the arteries. The statement, which was approved by the American Heart Association Science Advisory and Coordinating Committee, focuses on the dangers of particulate matter air pollution and reaffirms the dangers of environmental tobacco smoke.
The expert panel concludes that “…the existing body of evidence is adequately consistent, coherent, and plausible enough to draw several conclusions. At the very least, short-term exposure to elevated PM significantly contributes to increased acute cardiovascular mortality, particularly in certain-at-risk subsets of the population. Hospital admissions for several cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases acutely increase in response to higher ambient PM concentrations. The evidence further implicates prolonged exposure to elevated levels of PM in reducing overall life expectancy on the order of a few years.”
The panel calls on EPA to improve public health and substantially reduce cardiovascular deaths and disease by issuing regulations to expeditiously attain the current standards.
Furthermore the statement concludes, “because a number of studies have demonstrated associations between particulate air pollution and adverse cardiovascular effects even when levels of ambient PM2.5 were within current standards, even more stringent standards for PM2.5 should be strongly considered by the EPA.”
In addition, the scientists identified a number of areas for further research.
Members of the panel were: Robert D. Brook, MD; Barry Franklin, PhD, Chair; Wayne Cascio, MD; Yuling Hong, MD, PhD; George Howard, PhD; Michael Lipsett, MD; Russell Luepker, MD; Murray Mittleman, MD, ScD; Jonathan Samet, MD; Sidney C. Smith, MD; and Ira Tager, MD.
The American Heart Association [www.circ.ahajournals.org] offers the full Scientific Statement online.
Brook, RD, Franklin, B, Casio, W, Hong, Y, Howard, G, Lipsett, M, Luepker, R, Mittleman, M, Samet, J, Smith, SC, and Tager, I. Air Pollution and Cardiovascular Disease: A Statement for Healthcare Professionals from the Expert Panel on Population and Prevention Science of the American Heart Association. Circulation 2004;109;:2655-2671.
