Comparison of associations between proximity to major roads and all-cause mortality across a spectrum of cardiovascular diseases.

Background: Global urbanization is leading to increased exposure to traffic-related air pollution (TRAP), which is associated with adverse health events. While individuals with cardiovascular disease (CVD) are known to have elevated susceptibility to air pollution exposure, no studies have evaluated how mortality risks associated with TRAP exposure differ based on the presence of CVD.

Methods: We used three electronic health record-based cohorts to examine associations between proximity to major roadways and all-cause mortality. The three cohorts were a random sample of the hospital population, individuals with a prior myocardial infarction, and individuals with diagnosed heart failure (HF). We used Cox proportional hazards models to evaluate associations while adjusting for age, race, sex, and census block group socioeconomic status.

Results: Residing <250 m from a major roadway was associated with a hazard ratio (HR) of 1.13 (95% confidence interval = 1.05, 1.23) for individuals with HF, an HR of 1.07 (95% confidence interval = 0.96, 1.20) for those with a prior myocardial infarction, and an HR of 1.03 (95% confidence interval = 0.89, 1.20) for a random sample of hospital patients. This pattern persisted across several sensitivity analyses including alternative definitions of proximity to major roadways and matching the cohorts on demographics.

Conclusion: These results highlight the differences in air quality-related health risks based on underlying CVD. Individuals with HF consistently had the highest environmental health risks. These results may better inform risks related to TRAP exposure in populations with differing underlying CVD.