Arterial blood pressure responses to short-term exposure to low and high traffic-related air pollution with and without moderate physical activity:

BackgroundShort-term exposure to traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) has been associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes. Physical activity (PA) in polluted air may increase pollutant uptake and increase these effects.MethodsCrossover real-world exposure study in 28 healthy participants comparing systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) responses to four different exposure scenarios: 2 h exposure in high or low-TRAP environment, each at rest and combined with intermittent moderate PA consisting of 15 min intervals alternating rest and cycling on a stationary bicycle. Data was analyzed using mixed effect models for repeated measures.ResultsExposure to high TRAP was associated with higher DBP (1.1 mm/Hg, p = 0.002) post-exposure, irrespective of exercise status. Ultrafine particles (UFP) increased DBP post-exposure (0.9 mm/Hg, p = 0.004). Interquartile increases in black carbon (BC), fine particulate matter (PM10 and PMcoarse), UFP, and nitric oxides (NOx) were associated with statistically s...