Airborne Pollutants Increase Risk of Fatal Coronary Heart Disease in Women

Women who live in areas with greater air pollution have a higher susceptibility of developing and dying from coronary heart disease (CHD), according to a multi-decade study accepted today for publication in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP). When ozone combines with particulate matter (PM), women's risk of fatal CHD can increase up to twofold. According to the authors, this is the first study to return gender-specific results on this topic.

Researchers found statistically significant increases in the relative risk of fatal CHD in females as pollution levels increased when they analyzed PM levels alone. The risk estimates were strengthened when the study also considered ozone, and strengthened further when only postmenopausal females were included.

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