266255 PM2.5 and cardiovascular disease associations using biomarkers of effect: An environmental public health tracking study

Monday, October 29, 2012 : 4:50 PM - 5:10 PM

Kathleen M. Navarro, MPH , Environmental Health Sciences Division, School of Public Health, University California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
Jennifer K. Mann, MPH, PhD , Environmental Health Sciences Division, School of Public Health, University California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
Thomas E. McKone, PhD , Environmental Health Sciences Division, School of Public Health, University California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
John R. Balmes, MD , School of Public Health, University of California Berkeley, School of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, Berkeley, CA
     
Exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) generated from fossil fuel combustion has been consistently shown in epidemiological studies to be associated with a variety of cardiovascular disease (CVD) outcomes. Studies have demonstrated that there is considerable heterogeneity in the PM2.5-CVD mortality exposure-response relationship across the United States. We are performing a data linkage project to study the associations of both acute and chronic PM2.5 exposure with cardiovascular biomarkers of effect. PM2.5 estimates are from U.S. EPA's Air Quality System (AQS) monitors and Hierarchical Bayesian (HB) modeled estimates available for the entire country. Biomarker data were obtained from the National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (NHANES) for 2001 to 2006. Levels of C-reactive protein will be used as a primary indicator of cardiovascular disease risk. White blood cell count and homocysteine will be used as secondary indicators. Regression models will include covariates for social and dietary risk factors and will include random effects for county. This project will also assess the association between exposure to PM2.5 and intermediates in the CVD pathway. In addition, this project will evaluate the potential utility of biomarkers of inflammation from NHANES for the CDC Environmental Public Health Tracking Network.

Learning Areas:
Environmental health sciences
Epidemiology
Public health or related research

Learning Objectives:
1. Assess the association between both chronic and acute exposures to PM2.5 and biomarkers of cardiovascular effects 2. Compare effect estimates with PM2.5 measured by AQS monitors and with HB modeled estimates of PM2.5 3. Demonstrate the use of NHANES exposure estimates and biomarker levels in a data linkage study

Keywords: Air Pollutants, Environmental Exposures

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been working on projects for the Environmental Public Health Tracking program at UC Berkeley for two years. I developed the proposal for access to restricted NHANES data for this project. I have worked in the field of Environmental Health Science for the last five years.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 3423.0: Environmental exposures and biological variability: Defining the exposome in public health research