Milken Institute School of Public Health Poster Presentations (Marvin Center & Video)

Elevated blood pressure in adults and household air pollution caused by use of unimproved cookstoves: a systematic review

Poster Number

30

Document Type

Poster

Status

Graduate Student - Masters

Abstract Category

Environmental and Occupational Health

Keywords

Cookstoves; Blood pressure; Global Health; Household air pollution

Publication Date

4-2017

Abstract

There is emerging evidence that household air pollution (HAP) created by the use of unimproved cookstoves using solid fuels (wood, crop residues, charcoal, coal, and animal dung) could be a risk factor for elevated blood pressure in adults. Numerous reviews have found a risk associated with ambient particle air pollution and cardiovascular disease and clinical research has shown pathways in which the body's response to irritating air pollutants can have effects on the cardiovascular system (Brook 2008). These responses are inflammatory in nature and can lead to oxidative stress which has been shown to play a role in the physiology of hypertension, systemically high blood pressure (Rodrigo et al 2007). If ambient pollution is a risk factor for elevated blood pressure, then pollution created in the home from similar fuels is conceivably causing an added risk for elevated BP levels and perhaps cardiovascular disease if left unchecked (Lim et al 2012).

This review aimed to summarize studies that have researched the association between indoor cookstoves and their fuels and the association with hypertension. PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane Library were searched for articles pertaining to adults using unimproved cookstoves and the association with hypertension or elevated blood pressure. 10 articles were found within these guidelines and all found some significant evidence supporting the hypothesis that unimproved cookstoves increases the risk for elevated blood pressure, specifically in older women with higher BMIs.

Further research must be done to fully substantiate this hypothesis specifically longitudinal studies and intervention trials with longer follow up time. However, the research is being done regularly as this review was done months after a similar one was published with multiple new articles included.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.

Open Access

1

Comments

Poster to be presented at GW Annual Research Days 2017.

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Elevated blood pressure in adults and household air pollution caused by use of unimproved cookstoves: a systematic review

There is emerging evidence that household air pollution (HAP) created by the use of unimproved cookstoves using solid fuels (wood, crop residues, charcoal, coal, and animal dung) could be a risk factor for elevated blood pressure in adults. Numerous reviews have found a risk associated with ambient particle air pollution and cardiovascular disease and clinical research has shown pathways in which the body's response to irritating air pollutants can have effects on the cardiovascular system (Brook 2008). These responses are inflammatory in nature and can lead to oxidative stress which has been shown to play a role in the physiology of hypertension, systemically high blood pressure (Rodrigo et al 2007). If ambient pollution is a risk factor for elevated blood pressure, then pollution created in the home from similar fuels is conceivably causing an added risk for elevated BP levels and perhaps cardiovascular disease if left unchecked (Lim et al 2012).

This review aimed to summarize studies that have researched the association between indoor cookstoves and their fuels and the association with hypertension. PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane Library were searched for articles pertaining to adults using unimproved cookstoves and the association with hypertension or elevated blood pressure. 10 articles were found within these guidelines and all found some significant evidence supporting the hypothesis that unimproved cookstoves increases the risk for elevated blood pressure, specifically in older women with higher BMIs.

Further research must be done to fully substantiate this hypothesis specifically longitudinal studies and intervention trials with longer follow up time. However, the research is being done regularly as this review was done months after a similar one was published with multiple new articles included.