It is also sometimes called coronary artery disease or ischemic heart disease. About 20.5 million U.S. adults have coronary artery disease, making it the most common type of heart disease in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Coronary artery disease affects the larger coronary arteries on the surface of the heart. Another type of heart disease, called coronary microvascular disease, affects the tiny arteries within the heart muscle.

ABSTRACT

Background: Residential proximity to road traffic is associated with increased coronary heart disease (CHD) morbidity and mortality. It is unknown, however, whether changes in residential proximity to traffic could alter the risk of CHD mortality.

Methods: We used a population-based cohort study with a 5-year exposure period and a 4-year follow-up period to explore the association between changes in residential proximity to road traffic and the risk of CHD mortality. The cohort comprised all residents aged 45-85 years who resided in metropolitan Vancouver during the exposure period and without known CHD at baseline (n = 450,283). Residential proximity to traffic was estimated using a geographic information system. CHD deaths during the follow-up period were identified using provincial death registration database. The data were analyzed using logistic regression.

Results: Compared with the subjects consistently living away from road traffic (>150 m from a highway or >50 m from a major road) during the 9-year study period, those consistently living close to traffic (
Conclusions: Living close to major roadways was associated with increased risk of coronary mortality, whereas moving away from major roadways was associated with decreased risk.