HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS REGISTER		Author Keyword(s) Vol Page [Advanced]

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this link to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Add article to my folders Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Murakami, Y. Articles by Ono, M. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Murakami, Y. Articles by Ono, M. Topic Collections Relevant Article

Myocardial infarction deaths after high level exposure to particulate matter

¹ Department of Health Science, Shiga University of Medical Science, Japan
² Epidemiology and International Health Research Section, Environmental Health Sciences Division, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Japan

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Dr Y Murakami
Department of Health Science, Shiga University of Medical Science. Seta Tsukinowa-cho, Otsu City, Shiga, 520-2192, Japan; ymura{at}belle.shiga-med.ac.jp

Study objective: To examine the short term effects of raised concentrations of air pollutants on myocardial infarction deaths, the authors measured if incidence rate ratios increased after the concentration of suspended particulate matter (SPM) reached various critical values and were sustained for various periods of time.

Design: Retrospective analysis of a database, which contained hourly SPM concentrations and myocardial infarction deaths.

Methods: The rate of death (events/1000 hours) attributable to myocardial infarction was compared among SPM categories. SPM categories were classified by five different critical values that measured high SPM levels, and by the hours of exposure (exposure window) after reaching the critical SPM level.

Main outcome measures: The adjusted incidence rate ratios in the various SPM categories were compared with the reference category (0–99 µg/m³) to determine the incidence rate ratio.

Setting: Tokyo Metropolitan area, Japan.

Patients/participants: 14 950 people who died of myocardial infarction in the Tokyo Metropolitan area from 1990 to 1994.

Main results: When the exposure window was one hour, the adjusted incidence rate ratio in each category were 1.13 (95% CI: 1.07 to 1.20) in the 100–149 µg/m³ category, 1.17–1.24 in the intermediate categories, and 1.40 (1.00 to 1.97) in the highest (300 µg/m³ over) category. When the exposure window was one to six hours, increased rate ratios were seen in the highest category (1.17 (four hours) to 1.40 (one hour)). Gradual increases in the incidence rate ratio were seen as the SPM category increased when the exposure window was less than six hours.

Conclusion: An increased rate ratio of myocardial infarction deaths was seen within a few hours after reaching a high concentration of SPM. When the exposure window was less than six hours, there was a gradual increase in the incidence rate ratio as the SPM concentration increased.

Keywords: air pollution; suspended particulate matter; mortality; myocardial infarction

Relevant Article

In this issue

Carlos Alvarez-Dardet and John R Ashton
J Epidemiol Community Health 2006 60: 185. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]

This article has been cited by other articles:

				F. Ballester, S. Medina, E. Boldo, P. Goodman, M. Neuberger, C. Iniguez, N. Kunzli, and on behalf of the Apheis network Reducing ambient levels of fine particulates could substantially improve health: a mortality impact assessment for 26 European cities J Epidemiol Community Health, February 1, 2008; 62(2): 98 - 105. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]