June 25 | 2018

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The Association of Long-Term Exposure to Particulate Matter Air Pollution with Brain MRI Findings: The ARIC Study

Melinda C. Power, Archana P. Lamichhane, Duanping Liao, Xiaohui Xu, Clifford R. Jack Jr., Rebecca F. Gottesman, Thomas Mosley, James D. Stewart, Jeff D. Yanosky, and Eric A. Whitsel

Environ Health Perspect; February 2018 Vol 126 Issue 2. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP2152

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Increasing evidence links higher particulate matter (PM) air pollution exposure to late-life cognitive impairment. However, few studies have considered associations between direct estimates of long-term past exposures and brain MRI findings indicative of neurodegeneration or cerebrovascular disease.

OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to quantify the association between brain MRI findings and PM exposures approximately 5 to 20 y prior to MRI in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study.

METHODS: ARIC is based in four U.S. sites: Washington County, Maryland; Minneapolis suburbs, Minnesota; Forsyth County, North Carolina; and Jackson, Mississippi. A subset of ARIC participants underwent 3T brain MRI in 2011–2013 (n=1,753). We estimated mean exposures to PM with an aerodynamic diameter less than 10 or 2.5μm (PM10 and PM2.5) in 1990–1998, 1999–2007, and 1990–2007 at the residential addresses of eligible participants with MRI data. We estimated site-specific associations between PM and brain MRI findings and used random-effect, inverse variance–weighted meta-analysis to combine them.

RESULTS: In pooled analyses, higher mean PM2.5 and PM10 exposure in all time periods were associated with smaller deep-gray brain volumes, but not other MRI markers. Higher PM2.5 exposures were consistently associated with smaller total and regional brain volumes in Minnesota, but not elsewhere.

CONCLUSIONS: Long-term past PM exposure in was not associated with markers of cerebrovascular disease. Higher long-term past PM exposures were associated with smaller deep-gray volumes overall, and higher PM2.5 exposures were associated with smaller brain volumes in the Minnesota site. Further work is needed to understand the sources of heterogeneity across sites.

Assessing Interest | Special Issue HPCDP on Climate Change and Health | LOI June 29 2018

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[Announcement sent on behalf of Margaret de Groh, Ph.D., Editor-in-Chief, HPCDP Journal]

Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention in Canada, Research Policy and Practice

Assessing Interest in a Special Issue on Climate Change and Health

The Public Health Agency of Canada’s Journal Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention in Canada is exploring the possibility of publishing a special issue on climate change and health next April, 2019, to coincide with Earth Day.  In order to determine if this is a viable topic for the journal, we are conducting a targeted call out for “letters of intent” to specific groups within and outside the federal government.  We see this as an important opportunity to profile the work of scientists in other government departments and demonstrate the important interconnections and impacts of other sectors on health.  We also welcome submissions from scientists external to government (please feel free to share this call out with colleagues).

The timelines for this initiative would be tight and, therefore, would likely involve work already in progress or completed.  We publish both peer reviewed and non-peer reviewed manuscripts.  Since we see this as an opportunity to showcase  interdisciplinary research not generally seen in our Journal, we would entertain short non-peer reviewed pieces (called “at-a-glance” analyses) summarizing work that may otherwise be published in academic journals outside of health.

Deadlines:

Receipt of Letters of Intent (title and brief description of potential submission):  by June 29, 2018

Decision on special issue will be made by July 6, 2018 (all authors will be contacted on our decision)

Submission of Articles (if there is a special issue):  October 1, 2018

For more information on Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention in Canada, please visit our website:

https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/reports-publications/health-promotion-chronic-disease-prevention-canada-research-policy-practice/information-authors.html

Final consideration:  when we publish special issues, we try to engage a guest editor – someone who knows the area and can help to identify appropriate reviewers.  This is an important role and guest editors are invited to write a commentary (not essential).  If you would be interested in this type of contribution, please contact me, Margaret de Groh, Acting/Editor-in-Chief of the HPCDP Journal.

Thank you!

Margaret

Margaret de Groh, Ph.D.

Editor-in-Chief, HPCDP Journal

Centre for Surveillance and Applied Research

Health Promotion & Chronic Disease Prevention Branch

Public Health Agency of Canada | Government of Canada

margaret.degroh@canada.ca Tel: 613-960-0076 | Cell: 613-614-2045 | Fax: 613-960-0921

Rédactrice en chef, la revue PSPMC

Centre de surveillance et de recherche appliquée

Direction générale de la promotion de la santé et de la prévention des maladies chroniques

Agence de la santé publique du Canada | Gouvernement du Canada

June 11 | 2018

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Do green neighbourhoods promote urban health justice?

Isabelle Anguelovski, Helen Cole, James Connolly, Margarita Triguero-Mas

The Lancet, Public Health. Vol 3, No. 6, e270 June 2018

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S2468-2667(18)30096-3

For the past 30 years, a search for social and health justice has shaped many cities in North America and Europe. Residents of these cities have mobilised to address the effects of neighbourhood disinvestment, pollution, harmful land uses, and low-quality green spaces on health. In cities such as Leipzig or Barcelona, these movements have transformed neighbourhoods. However, while green amenities are important selling points for attracting high-income populations, the resulting increased property values shape a new conundrum, embodied in the exclusion and displacement associated with so-called green gentrification

June 4 | 2018

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Healthy cities: key to a healthy future in China

William Summerskill, Helena Hui Wang, Richard Horton

The Lancet, Vol 391, No. 10135, p2086–2087, 26 May 2018 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(18)30608-1

Summary

By 2030, up to one in eight people will live in a city in China. As urbanisation accelerates around the world, and particularly in Asia, the pivotal role of cities to influence the health of their inhabitants has never been greater. Hence, the UN Sustainable Development Goal 11 is to make cities inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.