# Assessing Cardiovascular Effect of Wildland Fire Smoke Exposure Using Lipid Biomarkers, Vascular Function, Hemodynamics, and Atherosclerotic Progression

> **NIH ALLCDC R21** · OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $184,354

## Abstract

Project Abstract
 Millions of people are exposed to smoke emissions from wildfires in the United States (U.S.). Increasing
evidence from population-based studies indicates that acute exposure to wildland fire (WF) smoke induces acute
respiratory effects. Observations made in these studies are inconclusive about the cardiovascular effects of WF
smoke. However, these studies are limited by a relatively higher potential for exposure misclassification and their
inherent weakness to detect small population level differences. Additionally, longer-term effects of cumulative
exposure, such as experienced by wildland firefighters, are currently unknown. Furthermore, health studies
among firefighters have been limited to acute pulmonary responses and non-specific systemic end-points,
although cardiovascular events cause the largest number of on-the-job deaths among wildland firefighters. The
proposed study is designed to address NIOSH’s “Public Safety” sector and “Cancer, Reproductive, and
Cardiovascular Diseases” cross-sector by assessing the association between occupational exposure to WF
smoke and precursors of cardiovascular disease. The hypothesis of the proposed study is that WF smoke
exposure induces adverse cardiovascular effects among WFFs as indicated by lipid dysregulation, and changes
in vascular structure and function. Specifically we will determine the effect of occupational exposure to WF smoke
on (1) traditional and novel CVD lipid risk factors and (2) measures of vascular structure and atherosclerotic
progression. Baseline and prospective changes in these measures will be compared between wildland
firefighters and a control non-exposed group of emergency medical technicians (EMTs). The use of disease
precursors as outcomes will enable findings that are relevant for characterizing risks that may evolve while still
working and those that could develop after retirement.
 The objective of the proposed study is well aligned with NIOSH’s priority extramural research goal to “reduce
the incidence of chronic and acute diseases in firefighters that may be related to … combustion products,” by
conducting a study using precursors of disease as outcomes. This work will contribute to the development of
relevant early disease detection. Overall, following the successful completion of the proposed study we expect
to have determined the contribution of occupational WF smoke exposure to CVD development. The envisaged
outputs from the proposed research, which would include publicly accessible results and publications, would
directly inform NIOSH’s priority goal to reduce incidence of exposure and illnesses among wildland firefighters.
These outputs will contribute to appropriate risk assessment of WF smoke exposure, the development of
exposure and risk mitigation strategies, and methods to test their effectiveness. Finally, the study results will be
disseminated and made accessible to its immediate audience, the wildland firefighting community. Accessibilit...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9895328
- **Project number:** 1R21OH011271-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Olorunfemi Adetona
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** ALLCDC
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $184,354
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-08-01 → 2022-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9895328

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9895328, Assessing Cardiovascular Effect of Wildland Fire Smoke Exposure Using Lipid Biomarkers, Vascular Function, Hemodynamics, and Atherosclerotic Progression (1R21OH011271-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9895328. Licensed CC0.

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