Environmental Factors of Stroke Mortality: Investigating Air Quality and Lead Exposure

Introduction: With its diverse etiologies, stroke has been linked to both genetic and lifestyle factors. Nevertheless, further investigation on the possible association between stroke and environmental determinants, notably air quality and lead exposure, is essential. In light of growing urbanization and environmental challenges, this study explores their correlation with stroke incidence and mortality to expand our understanding of cerebrovascular health determinants.

Methods: Data on stroke deaths per 100,00 individuals across New Jersey counties from 1990-2018 was sourced from New Jersey State Health Assessment Data. Metrics on the number of days that pollutants influenced the Air Quality Index were obtained from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Elevated blood lead level (BLL) data was sourced from NJ Health. Pearson’s correlations were run between stroke mortality and environmental parameters.

Results: Analysis of pollutant presence and its association with stroke deaths per 100,000 revealed the following: Days with carbon monoxide (CO) exhibited a correlation of 0.376 (p=0.13669); Days with nitrogen dioxide (NO2) had a correlation of -0.080 (p=0.75932); Ozone showed a correlation of -0.069 (p=0.79205); PM2.5 displayed a correlation of -0.178 (p=0.49365); Lastly PM10 indicated a correlation of -0.225 (p=0.38504). For elevated BLLs, nonsignificant inverse correlations were observed at 10-14 µg/dL (r=-0.0585, p=0.8012), 15-19 µg/dL (r=-0.0185, p=0.9365), and 20-44 µg/dL (r=-0.0708, p=0.7605).

Conclusion : In examining the relationship between air quality, lead exposure, and stroke mortality in New Jersey from 1990-2018, our findings suggest nonsignificant correlations for all pollutants and lead levels studied. While there is a positive correlation between carbon monoxide days and stroke deaths, its significance remains inconclusive. Further research is necessary to clarify the impact of these polluting agents.