View clinical trials related to Air Pollution Exposure.
Filter by:Fine particulate matter <2.5 μm (PM2.5) air pollution is the fifth leading risk factor for global mortality. Mitigating the clinically significant blood pressure (BP) elevation from air pollution by reducing PM2.5 exposure will likely contribute to the reduction in cardiovascular disease-related mortality. Twin epidemics of air pollution and high BP converge in underserved urban communities (i.e., Detroit) and warrant immediate attention. Prior studies with short duration (a few days) showed indoor portable air cleaners (PACs) are a novel approach to reduce the health burden of both high BP and PM2.5. Trials over several weeks employing remote technologies with a large sample size of patients residing in their own homes in vulnerable urban communities are needed to demonstrate if the BP-reduction from PAC usage is sustainable in real-world settings. The investigators' specific aims are to 1) determine if compared to sham, active PAC use during 3 weeks can provide sustained reductions in home BP levels by reducing personal-level PM2.5 air pollution exposures in patients with mild high BP residing in vulnerable disadvantaged communities across Detroit and 2) explore clinical markers (e.g., age, sex, body mass index) that predict BP-responses to PAC intervention to better target at-risk populations in larger-scale trials and future real-world clinical settings. A randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled parallel limb trial of overnight bedroom PAC use versus sham with 200 Detroit community individuals with mild high BP will be conducted. Continuous bedroom PM2.5 levels and home BP will be measured throughout 28 days. PAC will be used in the bedroom before bedtime on the 7th day continuously for 21 days. The reduction of systolic BP (SBP) will be calculated for both the intervention and control groups and the significance will be compared using mixed-effects modeling with repeated measurements of SBP as the dependent variable and group (active vs sham PAC use) as the independent variable with a fixed-effect. Linear multiple regression modeling with SBP as the dependent variable and participant-level characteristics including body mass index, waist circumference, race, ethnicity, or sex as predictors will be explored. This study is expected to demonstrate a significant sustainable reduction in home SBP for active PAC vs sham use in this population with mildly high BP.
Traffic related air pollution is a well-recognised and much studied contributor to smog and is linked to a number of adverse health outcomes. Although traffic pollutants can travel long distances, exposure to the highest levels of the raw emissions can occur closest to the source; e.g. in a car in dense traffic conditions. Time spent in-vehicle may contribute up to half of commuters' daily exposure to certain air pollutants. Most new cars now have or allow for a cabin air filter, but it is not known how well cabin air filtration can reduce exposure to traffic-related air pollution. This intervention study will measure commuters' exposure to air pollutants in rush hour traffic. It will evaluate the impact of this exposure on stress hormones in saliva, and short term cardiopulmonary health indicators such as blood pressure, heart rate variability and respiratory inflammation. It will also look at effects on cognition (mental processing and judgement) in this real world environment where any deficit could be important to safety. In addition, the study will examine whether cabin air filtration can reduce the exposure to traffic related air pollutants and result in improvements in short term cardiopulmonary and cognitive function. This research will contribute to our understanding of how this environment contributes to Canadians' overall air pollution exposure as well as the potential health impacts. It will also test a potentially valuable and economical means of reducing exposure to traffic related air pollution in a commuting environment. The study may also guide the future implementation of the use of cabin filters as an exposure reduction intervention. Overall Project Objectives: Can cabin air filtration effectively reduce exposure to traffic related air pollution? Does commuter exposure to air pollution affect short term stress, and cardiopulmonary and cognitive function? Can cabin air filtration mitigate the health effects of commuters' exposure to air pollution?