Research team at KTL: Juha Pekkanen, D.Med.Sc., Docent; Timo Lanki, M.Sc.; Esa Kokki, Ph.Lic.; Pekka Tiittanen M.Sc.
Finnish collaboration: Veikko Salomaa, D.Med.Sc., Docent, Dept. of Epidemiology and Health Promotion; Prof. Markku Kulmala; Pasi Aalto, Ph.D; Pentti Paatero, Ph.D., docent, Dept. of Physical Sciences, University of Helsinki, Finland
International collaboration: Stockholm County Council, Sweden; Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; ASLRME-Local Health Authority, Rome, Italy; GSF-National Research Center for Environment and Health, Neuherberg, Germany; IMIM-Municipal Institute for Medical Research, Barcelona, Spain;
Funding: European Commission (QLK4-2000-00708)
Contact person: Timo Lanki
Homepage: http://www.epiroma.it/heapss/
Background:
Patients once hospitalized after a myocardial infarction (MI) are at high risk of readmission for MI or other cardiac events. However, the short-term health effects of exposure to particulate matter, especially ultrafine particles, have never been quantified in this susceptible subgroup.
Objectives:
To determine dose-response relationships between air pollution and incidence of 1. myocardial infarction, and hospitalisation and death because of 2. MI or other cardiac events among survivors of the 1. MI.
Description:
The study is part of a multicenter study carried out in 5 European cities. Hospital admissions and mortality are studied longitudinally in cohorts of post MI patients. In addition, risk of a new MI in general population is studied using the data of the subjects when they enter the cohort. Daily levels of ambient air pollution for each city are quantified, and a model to retrospectively estimate the concentrations of ultrafine particles during the whole follow-up period will be developed.