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These are the first findings to show such an effect in people. Because the 25 subjects in this study were all healthy and relatively young (average age 35), these results call attention to the need for further research on the air pollution problems that plague most of the worlds major cities, Brook says.

Our results are a clear demonstration that environmentally relevant concentrations of common air pollutants that can occur in urban settings adversely affect the blood vessels of healthy people, Brook says. Brook adds that more research is needed to fully understand why air pollution has negative effects on blood vessels and to clarify the public health implications of the findings of these initial studies.

The study was conducted at the University of Toronto and funded by the Toxic Substance Research Initiative, a joint program of the Canadian Federal Ministries of Health and Environment, known as Health Canada and Environment Canada.

In the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency estimates that air pollution contributed to 60,000 heart-related deaths in 1996, according to figures in the federal register.

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Contact: Carole Bullock
carole.bullock@heart.org
214-706-1279
American Heart Association
11-Mar-2002