Systolic blood pressure changes in indigenous Boli

Authors: Donee Alexander Timothy Larson Susan Bolton Sverre Vedal

Publish Date: 2014/05/31

Volume: 8, Issue: 1, Pages: 47-53

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Abstract

The use of biomass fuels as a primary fuel source is widespread and is linked to significant health effects High blood pressure is a risk factor for cardiovascular effects including myocardial infarction and stroke Few studies evaluating the health effects of household air pollution HAP have included blood pressure measurements This study evaluated the effects of changes in cookstoverelated particulate matter on blood pressure in 28 women headofhouseholds preintervention and 1 year postintervention of an improved cookstove in a small indigenous community in rural Bolivia Blood pressure and kitchen particulate matter PM measurements were taken in August and September 2009 preintervention and in a 1year followup in September and October of 2010 postintervention Mean systolic blood pressure SBP decreased from 1145 ± 130 mm Hg to 1090 ± 104 mm Hg p = 001 after the improved cookstove intervention Small decreases in diastolic blood pressure DBP were also seen but these changes were not significant p = 050 Decreases in SBP were correlated with reductions in 24h mean kitchen PM levels r = 059 p = 004 Somewhat stronger correlations were found between reductions in cooking PM concentrations and reductions in both SBP r = 066 p = 001 and DBP r = 066 p = 001 This study finds associations between decreases in both 24h mean and mean cooking PM levels and decreases in SBP following an improved cookstove interventionThe authors would like to thank the women of Tuquiza who were the subjects of this study Nathaniel Wilson for helping with data collection and editing and the University of Washington chapter of Engineers Without Borders This study was supported by the Puget Sound Partners in Global Health and the Osberg endowment

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