WTC dust linked to plaque in arteries

First responders with high levels of exposure to dust cloud from the 2001 terror attacks may have an elevated risk of plaque in the arteries, a U.S. study says. Primary investigator Dr. Mary Ann McLaughlin, associate professor of medicine at Mount Sinai School of Medicine evaluated the cardiovascular health of the WTC responders since 2007. First author, Venkatesh Mani and colleagues, used MRI to evaluate the blood vessels of 19 responders exposed to high levels of particulate matter from the dust cloud, and 12 exposed to lower levels. They found that WTC workers who were exposed to the initial dust cloud had higher blood vessel formation in their artery plaque compared to people with lower exposure. Co-investigator Dr. Simonette Sawit also demonstrated impaired vascular reactivity, or dysfunction of the inner lining of blood vessels, in those with higher dust exposure. This dysfunction may accelerate the progression of atherosclerosis, the researchers said. "Using non-invasive MRI imaging, we were able to see a significant impact of the events of 9/11 on the cardiovascular health of the brave men and women who responded that day," Zahi Fayad, professor of radiology, and medicine and director of the translational and molecular imaging institute at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, said in a statement. The findings were presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions in Orlando, Fla.