Environmental Health Perspectives, October 2011
Indoor PM Pollution and Elevated Blood Pressure: Cardiovascular Impact of Indoor Biomass Burning
Bob Weinhold
Elevated blood pressure leads to increased risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, and kidney disease. Indoor air pollution, including exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5), has been hypothesized to contribute to elevated blood pressure, although little epidemiologic research has been conducted on this potential link. To investigate the issue further, a team of U.S., British, and Chinese researchers assessed the link between blood pressure and PM2.5 emitted during indoor burning of wood, coal, or crop residues used for heating and cooking [EHP 119(10):1390–1395; Baumgartner et al.]. These fuels and the poorly vented, inefficient stoves in which they are typically burned are a significant source of indoor air pollution exposure for almost half the world’s population.
The researchers evaluated the blood pressure of 280 Chinese women, aged 25–90, in conjunction with their personal exposure to PM2.5, as measured by a device the women wore or set nearby during two to six 24-hour periods over the course of a year. Blood pressure was measured immediately before and after each 24-hour PM2.5 measurement. The researchers were able to account for other factors that affect blood pressure, including age, education, height, weight, physical activity, salt intake, medication use, smoking, secondhand smoke exposure, caffeine consumption, pregnancy, medical history, air temperature, season, and socioeconomic status.
