The Science of the total environment
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Sci. Total Environ. · Jul 2012
Short-term effects of ambient air pollution on stroke: who is most vulnerable?
Several studies have demonstrated positive associations between day-to-day increases in air pollution and stroke. These findings have been inconsistent, and the influence of patient characteristics has been largely ignored. In this study, we investigated the short-term effects of air pollution on stroke using a time-stratified case-crossover design. ⋯ Temperature was inversely associated with ischemic stroke during the 'warm' season, but no associations were evident with the other stroke subtypes. Air pollution was not associated with hemorrhagic stroke or transient ischemic attacks. The findings suggest that specific patient characteristics modify associations between air pollution and ischemic stroke.