Two studies showing "hearts under attack" have recently
been released. One, published in the October 21, 2004
New England Journal of Medicine found
a link between traffic and MIs. The study,
Exposure to Traffic and the Onset of Myocardial
Infarction, looked at the association
between the onset of a non-fatal MI and exposure to
traffic in 691 subjects (mostly male, mostly first
MI, and 70% 55 years or older). Almost one in 12 of
these MIs were linked to traffic. And the association
was not just found in individuals driving in rush-hour/commuter
traffic, but also in individuals using public transit
or cycling. Respectively, for drivers, transit-users,
and cyclists, the increase in risk of onset of an MI
with just one hour of traffic exposure was: 2.60 times,
3.09 times, and 3.94 times. The link was also found
to be stronger in those who were unemployed, than in
those who were employed – so it's not just work-related
stress. While day of the week didn't seem to have any
effect, the estimated risks were larger for morning
and afternoon, than for night (when traffic is lighter).
While the study authors don't specifically accuse traffic-related
air pollution, they point out that since air pollution
is known to increase probability of an MI, "patients
who are at risk for acute coronary events are likely
to profit from recent efforts to improve the air quality
in urban areas with the use of cleaner vehicles and
improved city planning."
The other study, from the October 2004
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition,
saw caffeine, one of my favorite vices, accused of
having deleterious effects – again (see our news
item on caffeine
and forgetfulness)! The article,
Associations between coffee consumption and inflammatory
markers in healthy persons: the ATTICA study,
using approximately 3,000 men and women, found that
a relationship exists between moderate-to-high coffee
consumption and increased levels of several inflammatory
markers (thought to be underlying factors in the development
of heart disease). And how much coffee did a person
have to drink to get the higher marker results? Unfortunately,
almost none: A significant difference was seen in those
who drank over 200ml (less than a standard measuring
cup, which is 250ml) versus those who did not drink
coffee.
Together, the two are yet another version of the dangers
of "drinking" and "driving."
(As an aside, I think it's time someone start a coffee
protection league. How about we call it CUPPA –
Coffee Users' Protection & Promotion Alliance –
or something more continental, like CAFE – Coffee
Admiration Furtherance Enterprise?)
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Article published on Oct 22
04 12:59AM.
