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National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

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Your Environment. Your Health.

Publication Detail

Title: Exposure to Traffic-Related Air Pollution in Relation to Progression in Physical Disability among Older Adults.

Authors: Weuve, Jennifer; Kaufman, Joel D; Szpiro, Adam A; Curl, Cynthia; Puett, Robin C; Beck, Todd; Evans, Denis A; Mendes de Leon, Carlos F

Published In Environ Health Perspect, (2016 Jul)

Abstract: Physical disability is common though not inevitable in older age and has direct bearing on a person's ability to perform activities essential for self-care and independent living. Air pollution appears to increase the risk of several chronic diseases that contribute to the progression of disability.We evaluated long-term exposure to traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) in relation to progression in physical disability.We conducted our investigation within the Chicago Health and Aging Project. We measured participants' exposures to TRAP using two surrogates: residential proximity to major roads (1993 onwards) and ambient concentrations of oxides of nitrogen (NOX; 1999 onwards), predicted via a geographic information systems-based spatiotemporal smoothing model (cross-validation R2 = 0.87) that incorporated community-based monitoring and resolved intraurban exposure gradients at a spatial scale of tens of meters. Participants' lower-extremity physical ability was assessed every 3 years (1993-2012) via tandem stand, chair stand, and timed walking speed.In multivariable-adjusted analyses (n = 5,708), higher long-term NOX exposure was associated with significantly faster progression in disability. Compared with the 5-year decline in physical ability score among participants in the lowest quartile of NOX exposure, decline among those in the highest exposure quartile was 1.14 units greater (95% confidence interval [CI]: -1.86, -0.42), equivalent to 3 additional years of decline among those in the lowest exposure quartile. The association was linear across the continuum of NOX exposure: per 10-ppb increment in exposure, the 5-year decline in physical ability score was 0.87 unit greater (95% CI: -1.35, -0.39). Proximity to a major road was not associated with disability progression (n = 9,994).These data join a growing body of evidence suggesting that TRAP exposures may accelerate aging-related declines in health.Weuve J, Kaufman JD, Szpiro AA, Curl C, Puett RC, Beck T, Evans DA, Mendes de Leon CF. 2016. Exposure to traffic-related air pollution in relation to progression in physical disability among older adults. Environ Health Perspect 124:1000-1008; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1510089.

PubMed ID: 27022889 Exiting the NIEHS site

MeSH Terms: Aged; Air Pollutants/analysis; Air Pollution/statistics & numerical data*; Disabled Persons/statistics & numerical data*; Disease Progression*; Environmental Exposure; Geographic Information Systems; Humans; Vehicle Emissions/analysis*

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