Ambient Air Pollution and Atherosclerosis: Insights Into Dose, Time, and Mechanisms.

Ambient air pollution due to particulate matter ≤2.5 μ is the leading environmental risk factor contributing to global mortality, with a preponderant majority of these deaths attributable to atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) causes such as stroke and myocardial infarction. Epidemiological studies in humans have provided refined estimates of exposure risk, with evidence suggesting that risk association with particulate matter ≤2.5 levels and ASCVD continues at levels well below air quality guidelines in North America and Europe. Mechanistic studies in animals and humans have provided a framework of understanding of the duration and pathways by which air pollution exposure may pr…