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Prolonged exposure to air pollution associated with narrowing of retinal blood vessels
PLoS Med. 2010;7(11):e1000372.
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Exposure to air pollution was associated with narrowing of retinal microvasculature related to subclinical cardiovascular disease in older subjects, a study found.
"These findings support the hypothesis that important vascular phenomena are associated with small increases in short-term or long-term air pollution exposures, even at current exposure levels, and further corroborate reported associations between air pollution and the development and exacerbation of clinical cardiovascular disease," the study authors wrote.
The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis, a prospective population-based cohort study, included 4,607 subjects with no history of cardiovascular disease who underwent digital imaging of retinal arteriolar diameter. Mean subject age was 63 years. Data were adjusted for age, sex, race, region, climate and cardiovascular risk factors.
Study results showed narrowed retinal arteriolar diameter among participants who lived in areas with elevated levels of residential air pollution.
Mean central retinal arteriolar equivalent was 144 µm, and mean central retinal venular equivalent was 214 µm. Data showed that a 3 µg/m³ rise in long-term air pollution concentrations estimated at participants' homes was associated with a 0.8 µm (6%) decrease in retinal arteriolar diameter. The decrease was associated with other risk factors such as a 7-year increase in age of a 3 mm Hg rise in diastolic blood pressure.
Increased venular diameter was weakly associated with long-term elevated concentrations of fine particulates, the authors reported.