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Systematic review of the effects of black carbon on cardiovascular disease among individuals with pre-existing disease

  • Review
  • Published:
International Journal of Public Health

Abstract

Objectives

Recent interest has developed in understanding the health effects attributable to different components of particulate matter. This review evaluates the effects of black carbon (BC) on cardiovascular disease in individuals with pre-existing disease using evidence from epidemiologic and experimental studies.

Methods

A systematic literature search was conducted to identify epidemiologic and experimental studies examining the relationship between BC and cardiovascular health effects in humans with pre-existing diseases. Nineteen epidemiologic and six experimental studies were included. Risk of bias was evaluated for each study.

Results

Evidence across studies suggested ambient BC is associated with changes in subclinical cardiovascular health effects in individuals with diabetes and coronary artery disease (CAD). Limited evidence demonstrated that chronic respiratory disease does not modify the effect of BC on cardiovascular health.

Conclusions

Results in these studies consistently demonstrated that diabetes is a risk factor for BC-related cardiovascular effects, including increased interleukin-6 and ECG parameters. Cardiovascular effects were associated with BC in individuals with CAD, but few comparisons to individuals without CAD were provided in the literature.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Jason Sacks, Lindsay Wichers Stanek, Laura Datko-Williams, Mary Ross, and John Vandenberg for providing assistance with and critical review of the manuscript. This project was supported in part by an appointment to the Research Participation Program in the National Center for Environmental Assessment, Office of Research and Development, US Environmental Protection Agency, administered by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education through an interagency agreement between the US Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Agency.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Center for Environmental Assessment, Office of Research and Development, US Environmental Protection Agency, 109 T.W. Alexander Drive B243-01, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27711, USA

    Jennifer L. Nichols, Elizabeth Oesterling Owens, Steven J. Dutton & Thomas J. Luben

  2. Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, Oak Ridge, TN, USA

    Jennifer L. Nichols

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  1. Jennifer L. Nichols
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  2. Elizabeth Oesterling Owens
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Correspondence to Jennifer L. Nichols.

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This article is part of the special issue: “Environment and Health Reviews”.

This manuscript has been reviewed by the US Environmental Protection Agency and approved for publication. The views expressed in this manuscript are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the US Environmental Protection Agency.

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Nichols, J.L., Owens, E.O., Dutton, S.J. et al. Systematic review of the effects of black carbon on cardiovascular disease among individuals with pre-existing disease. Int J Public Health 58, 707–724 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-013-0492-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-013-0492-z

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