MVCAC November 2014

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Statins: Widely used drugs may protect people from air pollution — Environmental Health News
by Duane 24 Nov '14

24 Nov '14

http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/news/2014/nov/statins-and-air-po… Statins: Widely used drugs may protect people from air pollution By Brian Bienkowski, Environmental Health News, Nov. 24, 2014 One of the most widely prescribed drugs in the United States may have an extra benefit: protecting people from air pollution. Statins, prescribed to lower cholesterol and reduce risks of heart attacks and strokes, seem to diminish inflammation that occurs after people breathe airborne particles. “Health impacts from spikes in particulates in the air are substantial. Statins seem to protect not only lungs from these impacts but the heart, too,” said Dr. Norman Edelman, the American Lung Association's senior medical advisor. About one in four Americans over the age of 45 takes statins, including Lipitor, Zocor and other brand names. Although drugs cannot be prescribed to protect people from air pollution, several studies show that people who take statins have fewer proteins in their blood that indicate inflammation of tissues, said Dr. Stephan van Eeden, an associate professor at the University of British Columbia who specializes in lung health. This inflammation may aggravate respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. Most recently, a study of 1,923 U.S. women found that those taking statins are less likely to have signs of inflammation, said Bart Ostro, an epidemiologist with California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment who led the study. “There are some specific groups [such as diabetics] that seem to have higher levels of inflammation after long-term exposure,” Ostro said. “On the converse side, we found that people on statins seem to be protected from the inflammatory effects of PM2.5.” In the women taking statins, there was no association between PM2.5 – the tiny particles emitted mostly by burning diesel and other fossil fuels – and the proteins indicating inflammation, while for most of the other groups the links were quite strong. It’s not the first time researchers have noticed this link: University of Michigan researchers found decreased blood indicators of inflammation in people who took statins in a study of 92 people in Boston. A national study of 5,778 people also reported that statins canceled out the presence of signs of inflammation from PM2.5, carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide. “Health impacts from spikes in particulates in the air are substantial. Statins seem to protect not only lungs from these impacts but the heart, too.” –Dr. Norman Edelman, American Lung AssociationScientists believe that inflammation is a key factor in heart disease. “The older thinking was that plaque in coronary arteries caused heart attacks,” Edelman said. “Now the thinking is that it’s also due to some living tissue under plague that gets inflamed and that disrupts the plaque. We already knew statins ameliorate heart disease, and always thought it was through lipids, but here’s a new pathway.” Around the world, studies have shown that whenever particulates increase, deaths from heart attacks and respiratory disease rise, too. Experts estimate that fine particles are linked to about 800,000 deaths annually worldwide. Particulate pollution has been on a steady decline in the United States: The national average for PM2.5 decreased 34 percent from 2000 to 2013, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. However, high concentrations of the pollution still persist in some cities with heavy traffic and industry, such as Los Angeles and Chicago. When van Eeden and colleagues gave statins to rabbits before exposing them to particulate matter they had decreased lung inflammation. In a second study of rabbits, statins seemed to help clear large particles from the lungs by promoting the movement of white blood cells to nearby lymph nodes, which protects the lungs against pending inflammation. “It’s clear that if the animals are treated for about a month with statins before they’re exposed to particles, you can significantly lower the amount of particles generated in the lungs and decrease the blood vessel inflammatory process,” van Eeden said. It’s not clear how statins may cause fewer particles in the lungs, but van Eeden said statin-treated rabbits have more particles in lymph nodes, suggesting the drugs stimulate particles to move to the nodes. In another animal test mice given Zocor prior to oil fly ash or particulate exposure did not experience lung injuries and inflammation like their non-treated counterparts did, according to a 2011 study in Argentina. “It's clear that if the animals are treated for about a month with statins before they're exposed to particles, you can significantly lower the amount of particles generated in the lungs and decrease the blood vessel inflammatory process.” –Dr. Stephan van Eeden, University of British ColumbiaVan Eeden and colleagues are now trying to figure out if the animal findings hold true for human lungs. So far, their work looks “very promising,” he said. His lab is examining lung tissue from people who had part of a lung removed. Many were smokers and had a lot of particles in their lungs. They haven’t finished the study but so far they’re seeing that “it’s quite clear that people who used statins had less particles in their lungs,” van Eeden said. “Once again it suggests anti-inflammatory properties and seems to clear the particles,” van Eeden said. “And these were people chronically exposed to air pollution or cigarette smoke.” However, it’s too early for doctors to prescribe statins for people exposed to air pollution, said Dr. Martha Daviglus, a cardiovascular epidemiologist at Northwestern University and University of Illinois. “We need more evidence. We already have a lot of people taking statins for cholesterol, and we don’t fully know the effect of taking the drugs for years and years, and decades yet,” Daviglus said. The number of people taking the drugs is already expected to rise as the American Heart Association last year advocated for increased statin use to combat high cholesterol. It remains unclear if people would have to take statins immediately prior to breathing air pollution, and, if so, for how long, in order for the drugs to help. “It seems they have some good effects with regards to air pollution, but we need to conduct clinical trials with people living near roads or high-emitting facilities,” Daviglus said. Ostro said it would be “somewhat of a leap” to prescribe statins to mitigate air pollution impacts, given some of their known side effects, such as liver problems. Food and Drug Administration spokesman Kristofer Baumgartner said that any new claims about additional benefits for a drug have to be reviewed by a team of scientists, and the benefit would have to outweigh any risks. Two pharmaceutical giants who sell statins, Pfizer and AstraZeneca, would not comment on the air pollution studies. There is no research on whether other anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen, would also protect people from air pollution. Van Eeden sees potential for statins to play a role in reducing effects of air pollution, possibly in the near future. One possible group could be those suffering from asthma, which causes inflamed and constricted air passages. “If this human study confirms what we found in rabbits, then if there is an episode of air pollution, maybe people at high risk can get a short course of statins for that period until the air pollution clears,” he said. He is currently seeking funding to test statins on firefighters to see if they reduce lung inflammation caused by smoke. Edelman said the answer to protecting people is still cleaning the air. “We don’t want people to start thinking now we have a drug to control effects of air pollution so we don’t have to worry about air pollution,” he said. “It’s still a large threat.”

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Open Burning Win at County Council; Now on to Coke & Indoor Air
by Duane330＠aol.com 20 Nov '14

20 Nov '14

Sent: 11/19/2014 Subj: Open Burning Win at County Council; Now on to Coke & Indoor Air GASP AlertAction and News from Group Against Smog and Pollution JOIN OUR LIST (http://visitor.constantcontact.com/email.jsp?m=1102402694952) November 19, 2014 Community Meeting With Health Department About Shenango Coke This evening, please join Allegheny County Clean Air Now (ACCAN) as they meet with the Health Department about the Shenango Coke Works. ACCAN formed from a core group of residents that live near the coke works who have been working to reduce emissions at the facility for years. The group includes many GASP members, Smoke Readers, and supporters. The meeting is Wednesday, November 19 at 6 p.m. Learn more about how you can have your voice heard _here_ (http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001MVoFHayfD4rNdjd76u-0gwNpmxonkQvDt3iY4QPC_xjf… my-JLqdAf-wsg6oNR8WI-clr6nKIPgubLbdXB2grIboBOPxyD5MJdnK3ZqDHC9OkPo0fs77JRhDs Kxmr2krb75yhMVWeTeWSCCWZb4LcVUUDqJR6wdy5YvkbGu1_NhZ_wWTIbmnbEV-JO5fOWJrakpU8 xvA=&c=lmHKwRk3WF6Vh6f4I0E2e8P9zQfWJd2Nwuuyww0FJJBgHan703MJzw==&ch=5Jxz99YXM xIZTYg2Z_BIcg52amju6yBy39TCGhuNIvk2nE1wJ3AQJQ==) . Open Burning Victory! Thanks to your support, Allegheny County Council voted 9-4 on November 5 to approve the changes to the county's regulations on open burning. Thank you to all who appeared at the hearing and to those who called or emailed your Council member to show support for the updates. If you'd like to _email your representative_ (http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001MVoFHayfD4rNdjd76u-0gwNpmxonkQvDt3iY4QPC_xjf… nS3keWfShLHYv4Kx6Uwce0qRDXG4GAueb3qCdhNf5tisR2dPaGJjVQ6ewUvUarxjOa4dNqzlJWun xVaV8CxmIO35no6nKKZLSaMBjkoprPW_zyB4ltA==&c=lmHKwRk3WF6Vh6f4I0E2e8P9zQfWJd2N wuuyww0FJJBgHan703MJzw==&ch=5Jxz99YXMxIZTYg2Z_BIcg52amju6yBy39TCGhuNIvk2nE1w J3AQJQ==) , here's the tally: For: Baker, Danko, DeFazio, Ellenbogen, Finnerty, Kress, Macey, Martoni, Palmiere Against: Heidelbaugh, Futules, Means, Rea Absent: Hawkins, Robinson The changes will require a set back of 15' from neighboring property lines, roads, etc. for the open burning of wood, providing a minimum of fire safety and air pollution protection. The changes state only clean wood or other cleaner fuels like propane, charcoal, or natural gas can be burned. These changes also give more power to an inspector to reduce or prohibit burning activities that are nuisances to neighbors. You can see the current rules and the proposed changes _here_ (http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001MVoFHayfD4rNdjd76u-0gwNpmxonkQvDt3iY4QPC_xjf… yA0AR2QbMlxpjtGiwnLm6XdmyyAwUqVBmJaIEjaFuhk97O-UoRIcqH46DQLUa-LsCt4G-r2ubfNW 4BHMrXknRMQ8BOh5isihF69vXndjmuaY_5sIT8w_Vnttnj3Qd5A8dcYafxi&c=lmHKwRk3WF6Vh6 f4I0E2e8P9zQfWJd2Nwuuyww0FJJBgHan703MJzw==&ch=5Jxz99YXMxIZTYg2Z_BIcg52amju6y By39TCGhuNIvk2nE1wJ3AQJQ==) . (Look in the boxes on the right and scroll down to "Open Burning.") Please contact _jamin(a)gasp-pgh.org_ (mailto:jamin@gasp-pgh.org) to learn more or to discuss how your municipality can go beyond these updates to create even stronger regulations. Burning, Part Two: A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words The changes mentioned in the section above only apply to Allegheny County's regulations, but wood smoke affects citizens state-wide. The Clean Air Council's "_I See Smoke_ (http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001MVoFHayfD4rNdjd76u-0gwNpmxonkQvDt3iY4QPC_xjf… mtb-1qPvXBP488RWv8Y8lNHd5PnmEEh8wm7FvYz-Wo7hhRbuMoxYwjPZLyOSL-VCDgkEk9BVN3ng PcgRr2Y4ujwOih0H8Egye8PhF9vT9A=&c=lmHKwRk3WF6Vh6f4I0E2e8P9zQfWJd2Nwuuyww0FJJ BgHan703MJzw==&ch=5Jxz99YXMxIZTYg2Z_BIcg52amju6yBy39TCGhuNIvk2nE1wJ3AQJQ==) " program has rolled out a new tool that makes reporting violations and taking action easy. A new app allows users to share information and photos of the smoke pollution in their neighborhood. By using the app, community members fill out information about the pollution they see. That information gets passed on to the Clean Air Council, the PA Department of Environmental Protection, and all appropriate county health agencies. This streamlines the reporting process and makes sure that all violations are being reported to the agencies that oversee air quality enforcement. _Try it today!_ (http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001MVoFHayfD4rNdjd76u-0gwNpmxonkQvDt3iY4QPC_xjf… YN7vdFfqRP75HIQm-6UczDGNhFBL4yWnQoxwloyIEtqXwGsitOOU41QOMHx_Rj2RwbhMwTqG_a00 5rpawMmy4mPRnK-01VgrNMa5EpZcnt2C42jJrBZ9GgBvUjPKLDeWVsU9NLBZeKLgFUQd349geTfA 6-SmkGVzyAvI8_CIXlWdgj0g3Gv3g0PTU710i-urRGUX&c=lmHKwRk3WF6Vh6f4I0E2e8P9zQfWJ d2Nwuuyww0FJJBgHan703MJzw==&ch=5Jxz99YXMxIZTYg2Z_BIcg52amju6yBy39TCGhuNIvk2n E1wJ3AQJQ==) Outdoor Particles--How Many Enter Your Home? How much of the particulate matter in outdoor air gets inside? Are there inexpensive ways to predict indoor concentrations of outdoor particle pollution based on simple house characteristics and building operation? Brent Stephens, Director of The Built Environment Research Group at Illinois Institute of Technology, will discuss his work on pathways that allow outdoor particulate matter to infiltrate into living spaces in a webinar this Friday at 2 p.m. He has investigated the link between building envelope airtightness and outdoor particle penetration. Participants will gain a better understanding of variables and the magnitude of their impact. Learn more and register _here_ (http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001MVoFHayfD4rNdjd76u-0gwNpmxonkQvDt3iY4QPC_xjf… nXqLR0CLH2fTRccn0gx6FeO7vftUjsCUb7m1YzMEIhZh2A3hdqJw_VF6e2_0xkYFqngl9x0ug_3F jVDS7ozmTXKaLrAo0RatLmwe-dq_u8zr-ZgS3efwoAZwVmDb3PVkKC8gJgvI&c=lmHKwRk3WF6Vh 6f4I0E2e8P9zQfWJd2Nwuuyww0FJJBgHan703MJzw==&ch=5Jxz99YXMxIZTYg2Z_BIcg52amju6 yBy39TCGhuNIvk2nE1wJ3AQJQ==) . We appreciate your participation on the GASP Alert email list. Together, we can make a difference in our region's environment. We won't trade or sell your email address with other organizations or inundate you with messages. Visit our website at _gasp-pgh.org_ (http://www.gasp-pgh.org/) or call us at (412) 924-0604 for more information. Thank you! Group Against Smog and Pollution | 5135 Penn Avenue | Pittsburgh | PA | 15224

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MVCAC November 2014