Aims: Long-term exposure to urban air pollution may accelerate atherogenesis and increase cardiopulmonary mortality. We aim to examine the relationship between the long-term residential exposure to traffic and prevalence of coronary heart disease (CHD).
Methods and results: We used baseline data from the German Heinz Nixdorf RECALL study, a population-based, prospective cohort study. For 3399 participants from two cities, we assessed the long-term personal traffic exposure and background air pollution, comparing residents living within 150 m of major roads with those living further away. The principal outcome variable was clinically manifest CHD. We evaluated the association with multivariable logistic regression, controlling for background air pollution and individual level risk factors. Of 3399 participants, 242 (7.1%) had CHD. The crude odds ratio (OR) for prevalence of CHD at high traffic exposure was significantly elevated (1.62, 95%CI 1.12-2.34) and rose to 1.85 (95%CI 1.21-2.84) after adjusting for cardiovascular risk factors and background air pollution. Subgroup analysis showed stronger effects for men (OR 2.33, 95%CI 1.44-3.78), participants younger than 60 years (OR 2.67, 95%CI 1.24-5.74) and never-smokers (OR 2.72, 95%CI 1.40-5.29).
Conclusion: This study provides epidemiological evidence that the long-term exposure to traffic-related emissions may be an important risk factor for CHD.