EAPC Quiz: Pollution and atherothrombotic risk

5 December 2021

Organised by:

The case

A 58-year-old man with several cardiovascular risk factors (including hypertension, dyslipidemia and diabetes mellitus) is considering taking holidays with his spouse, and would like to pick a location. He is concerned that going on holidays in a heavily polluted place could put him at risk of adverse clinical events, and asks for your advice.

References

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3. Montone RA, Camilli M, Russo M, Termite C, La Vecchia G, Iannaccone G, Rinaldi R, Gurgoglione F, Del Buono MG, Sanna T, Trani C, Liuzzo G, Crea F, Niccoli G. Air Pollution and Coronary Plaque Vulnerability and Instability: An Optical Coherence Tomography Study. JACC Cardiovasc Imaging. 2021 Oct 7:S1936-878X(21)00692-6. doi: 10.1016/j.jcmg.2021.09.008. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 34656488.

4. Shimonovich M, Pearce A, Thomson H, Keyes K, Katikireddi SV. Assessing causality in epidemiology: revisiting Bradford Hill to incorporate developments in causal thinking. Eur J Epidemiol. 2021 Sep;36(9):873-887. doi: 10.1007/s10654-020-00703-7. Epub 2020 Dec 16. PMID: 33324996; PMCID: PMC8206235.