Environmental health perspectives
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Environ. Health Perspect. · Sep 2014
Long-term exposure to ambient air pollution and incidence of cerebrovascular events: results from 11 European cohorts within the ESCAPE project.
Few studies have investigated effects of air pollution on the incidence of cerebrovascular events. ⋯ We found suggestive evidence of an association between fine particles and incidence of cerebrovascular events in Europe, even at lower concentrations than set by the current air quality limit value.
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Environ. Health Perspect. · Sep 2014
Particulate matter air pollution exposure, distance to road, and incident lung cancer in the nurses' health study cohort.
A body of literature has suggested an elevated risk of lung cancer associated with particulate matter and traffic-related pollutants. ⋯ Our findings support those from other studies indicating increased risk of incident lung cancer associated with ambient PM exposures, especially among never- and long-term former smokers.
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Environ. Health Perspect. · Aug 2014
The blood exposome and its role in discovering causes of disease.
Since 2001, researchers have examined the human genome (G) mainly to discover causes of disease, despite evidence that G explains relatively little risk. We posit that unexplained disease risks are caused by the exposome (E; representing all exposures) and G × E interactions. Thus, etiologic research has been hampered by scientists' continuing reliance on low-tech methods to characterize E compared with high-tech omics for characterizing G. ⋯ For studies of disease etiology, the complexity of human exposures motivates characterization of the blood exposome, which includes all biologically active chemicals. Because most small molecules in blood are not human metabolites, investigations of causal pathways should expand beyond the endogenous metabolome.
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Environ. Health Perspect. · Jun 2014
Epigenetic influences on associations between air pollutants and lung function in elderly men: the normative aging study.
Few studies have been performed on pulmonary effects of air pollution in the elderly--a vulnerable population with low reserve capacity--and mechanisms and susceptibility factors for potential effects are unclear. ⋯ Subchronic exposure to traffic-related pollutants was associated with significantly reduced lung function in the elderly; nontraffic pollutants (particles, ozone) had weaker associations. Epigenetic mechanisms related to inflammation and immunity may influence these associations.
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Environ. Health Perspect. · Jun 2014
Ambient air pollution and depressive symptoms in older adults: results from the MOBILIZE Boston study.
Exposure to ambient air pollution, particularly from traffic, has been associated with adverse cognitive outcomes, but the association with depressive symptoms remains unclear. ⋯ We found no evidence suggesting that ambient air pollution is associated with depressive symptoms among older adults living in a metropolitan area in attainment of current U.S. regulatory standards.