Changing places to study the medium-term effects of air pollution: carotid arterial stiffness

Methods Arterial stiffness was measured in 20 healthy volunteers (59-76 years of age) in three locations and at 11 time points during one year: seven times in Leuven (Belgium) and twice during each 10-day stay in Milan (Italy) and Vindeln (Sweden). Pulse Wave Velocity (PWV), distensibility (DC) and compliance (CC) were measured using Esaote MyLabOne ultrasound. Personal NO2 exposure, an indicator of traffic-related air pollution, was monitored during 5 consecutive days before each health assessment using passive samplers. Associations between arterial stiffness and exposure to NO2 were evaluated with linear mixed models, adjusting for sex, age, heart rate, arterial pressure, and time.