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Health See other Health Articles Title: Living Near Major Roadways Increases Likelihood of Hypertension Medscape... PROVIDENCE, RI — Living close to major roadways, such as freeways, freeway ramps, or heavily trafficked arterial roads, is associated with higher blood pressure, according to a new analysis[1]. For example, individuals who lived within 100 m of any major roadway were 22% more likely to have hypertension than those who lived more than 1000 m from the road. The association was adjusted for multiple variables, including potential causes of hypertension such as body-mass index (BMI), physical-activity levels, and smoking status, as well as the local food environment (ie, an assessment of the density of grocery stores and supermarkets). "Prior studies suggest that residential proximity to major roadways is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality," according to lead investigator Kipruto Kirwa (Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI). "If causal, our findings raise the possibility that these associations may be mediated, at least in part, through an increased risk of hypertension." If this turns out to be true, the researchers say that preventing hypertension, or at least managing it, might be a feasible strategy to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality. Published October 1, 2014 in the Journal of the American Heart Association, the study, which includes senior investigator Dr Gregory Wellenius (Brown University School of Public Health), is an analysis of the Women's Health Initiative and includes 5401 postmenopausal women living in the San Diego area. More than 40% had hypertension and were equally divided by BMI, with roughly one-third normal weight, overweight, or obese. The median distance from a major roadway was 836 m. Using a distance of more than 1000 m as the reference, the researchers report a significantly higher prevalence of hypertension among those who lived within 100 m of a major roadway. In a model that examined the natural log of distance to a major roadway as a continuous variable, a shift in distance from 1000 to 100 m was associated with a 9% higher prevalence of hypertension. Prevalence Ratio of Hypertension With Distance to Roadway Model <100 m >100–200 m >200–1000 m >1000 m Prevalence ratio (95% CI) 1.22 (1.07-1.39) 1.13 (1.00-1.27) 1.05 (0.99-1.12) 1.0 (reference) The researchers did not assess pollution levels, but higher levels of traffic-related air pollution is associated with proximity to major roads. Noise levels are also higher. While both of these might increase the risk of hypertension, the researchers note that mechanisms are incompletely understood at this stage. "It is plausible that our results reflect the combined effects of living close to both traffic-related noise and air pollution, but future studies that assess both these exposures simultaneously are needed," write Kirwa and colleagues. Related Links Long-term Air Pollution Ups Risk of CVD: European Study Traffic Noise, Pollution Linked Again to Atherosclerosis High Levels of Pollution 'Bring Forward' Heart Attacks Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread
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