Reducing the Pro-ischaemic Effects of Air Pollution Exposure Using a Simple Face Mask

Summary

Air pollution is a major cause of cardiorespiratory morbidity and mortality. The exact components of air pollution that underlie the cardiovascular effects are not yet known, but combustion-derived particulate matter is suspected to be the major cause. Epidemiological studies have shown that exposure to air pollution causes exacerbation of existing cardiorespiratory conditions leading to increased hospital admissions and death. The investigators have recently conducted a series of controlled exposure studies to urban particulate matter and diesel exhaust in healthy volunteers and patients with coronary heart disease. The investigators found that controlled exposure to dilute diesel exhaust in patients with prior myocardial infarction induced asymptomatic myocardial ischaemia with an increase in electrocardiographic measures of myocardial ischaemia. Whilst important, further questions remain: (i) does air pollution exposure exacerbate ischaemia and reduce exercise tolerance in patients with symptomatic angina pectoris, (ii) do "real world" exposures as encountered in the urban environment of major cities have similar effects, and (iii) can a simple face mask intervention to reduce exposure to particulate air pollution improve health outcomes in patients with coronary heart disease?

Conditions

• Angina Pectoris
• Coronary Heart Disease
• Blood Pressure
• Heart Rate Variability

Interventions

DEVICE

No Face Mask

Subjects will not wear a face mask to reduce their personal air pollution exposure

DEVICE

Face Mask

Subjects will be asked to wear a simple face mask to reduce personal exposure to particulate air pollution. Subjects will be asked to wear the mask for 24 hours prior to the study day and the 24 hours of the study day. They will be instructed to wear the mask at all times when outdoors and as much as possible when indoors.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Fuwai Hospital

  collaborator OTHER

• University of Edinburgh

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Lixin Jiang, MD · Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Medical Union College

• David E Newby, PhD FRCP · University of Edinburgh

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

BASIC_SCIENCE

Masking

NONE

Model

CROSSOVER

Eligibility

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2009-01-31

Primary Completion

2009-05-31

Completion

2009-05-31

Countries

• China

Study Locations