Particulate air pollution and chronic ischemic heart disease in the eastern United States: a county level ecological study using satellite aerosol data

An ecological geographic study method was employed. Race and age standardized mortality rate (SMR) of CIHD was computed for each of the 2306 counties for the time period 2003–2004. A mean AOD raster grid for the same period was derived from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) aerosol data and the average AOD was calculated for each county. A bivariate Moran's I scatter plot, a map of local indicator of spatial association (LISA) clusters, and three regression models (ordinary least square, spatial lag, and spatial error) were used to analyze the relationship between AOD and CIHD SMR.The global Moran's I value is 0.2673 (p = 0.001), indicating an overall positive spatial correlation of CIHD SMR and AOD. The entire study area is dominated by spatial clusters of AOD against SMR (high AOD and high SMR in the east, and low AOD and low SMR in the west) (permutations = 999, p = 0.05). Of the three regression models, the spatial error model achieved the best fit (R2 = 0.28). The effect of AOD is positive and significant (beta = 0.7774, p = 0.01).Aerosol particle pollution has adverse effect on CIHD mortality risk in the eastern US. High risk of CIHD mortality was found in areas with elevated levels of outdoor aerosol air pollution as indicated by satellite derived AOD. The evidence of the association would support targeting of policy interventions on such areas to reduce air pollution levels. Remote sensing AOD data could be used as an alternative health-related indictor of air quality.Ischemic heart disease (IHD), also called coronary artery disease or coronary heart disease, is a condition that the blood vessels are narrowed or blocked due to the deposition of cholesterol plaques on their walls. This affects the supply of blood to the heart and reduces the supply of oxygen and nutrients to the heart musculature. This may eventually result in a portion of the heart being suddenly deprived of its blood supply leading to the death of that area of heart tissue, r