Background: The purpose of our study was to evaluate the effects of urban pollution on the lipid balance of members of a municipal police force in a big city.
Subjects and methods: Our case-control study comprised 118 male members of the police force performing traffic duties, and 118 blood donors who perform office work, and was paired by age and length of service. Total cholesterol, HDL and triglycerides were studied.
Results: The comparison of the average values of HDL cholesterol and triglycerides between the exposed traffic police group and the control group showed significant differences. The difference in the frequency distributions of HDL cholesterol and triglycerides between the exposed group and control group was significant as well. The results suggest the possibility of an alteration in the lipid balance among asymptomatic people who are exposed to air pollution.
Conclusion: The results suggest that some chemical agents (such as carbon dioxide) contained in the urban pollution of a big city could cause dyslipidemia among people exposed to such air pollution.