Outdoor and indoor air pollution and myocardial infarction among women in Kaunas, Lithuania: a case-control study

A population-based case-control study among 35–61-year-old women in Kaunas, Lithuania, was conducted in 1997-2005. In total 368 myocardial infarction cases and 725 healthy controls were interviewed using a standardized questionnaire containing information on gas stove use, environmental tobacco smoke, high traffic, household crowding, traditional ischemic heart disease risk factors, socioeconomic position (education, occupation), and perceived stress. Nitrogen dioxide was selected for analysis as an indicator of traffic-related air pollution. In the fully adjusted model, the Odds ratio of outdoor nitrogen dioxide pollution exposure for the third tertile was 1.10; 95% CI 0.57-2.15 as compared to the first tertile. The adjusted OR for gas stove usage was 1.20; 95% CI 0.72-1.98, environmental tobacco smoke 1.28; 95% CI 0.71-1.66. The study has demonstrated that outdoor and indoor air pollution exposure might have trace associations with coronary heart disease.