October 2007
Heart disease
is the #1
killer of
women over
age 65.7
Women and
Environmental Health
Information for Older Adults and
Their Caregivers
The environment affects
human health in
many ways. A healthy
environment has
positive effects; a polluted
environment harms health.
Some of the negative effects
have a particular impact on
women's health, especially
among those over 50.
Pollutants are health factors in
commonly known conditions
such as lung disease, as well
as in other chronic illnesses.
Chronic health conditions such
as high blood pressure, chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease
(COPD), and asthma are more
common in women over 50
compared to men in the same
age group.2
This fact sheet offers information
both on steps that you can
take to reduce exposure to
environmental pollutants and
conditions to be aware of as
you age, especially:
Pollutants in the air you
breathe,
Cleaning agents and
pesticides you use around
the home, and
Childhood exposure to
lead and resulting health
problems after menopause.3
Air Pollution
Air pollution is the
contamination of air with
harmful substances. Examples
of air pollutants include, but are
not limited to:
Fine particles, such as vehicle
exhaust and soot;
Gases, including ozone and
carbon monoxide;
Fumes released by burning
coal, oil, or kerosene and
from household cleaning
products and paints; and
Smoke from tobacco, open
burning, and wood-burning
stoves.
Fine particles and ozone are
recognized as the most harmful
air pollutants.
Staying indoors does not
necessarily provide protection
Call the National Poison Control Center if you or
someone shows symptoms of having been poisoned
(1-800-222-1222).
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against air pollution. Fine particles can enter
your home or workspace through open
windows, doors, or air conditioners. If adequate
ventilation does not exist, tobacco smoke or
fumes from cleaning products can become
concentrated indoors and quickly degrade air
quality.
Health Effects of Air Pollution
If you have cardiovascular disease, air
pollution can cause sudden variations or an
increase in your heart rate.4 Air pollution may
worsen coronary atherosclerosis or chronic
heart conditions which can result in a heart
attack56 and possibly death, especially among
postmenopausal women.7
If you have a lung disease, air pollution can
enter your respiratory tract and cause health
problems including inflammation of the
lungs, difficulty breathing, and aggravation of
asthma and COPD.
If you have diabetes, exposure to air pollution
may increase the risk of heart attack, stroke,
and other heart problems.8
How to Avoid or Minimize Your
Exposure to Air Pollution
Check the Air Quality Index (AQI) each day.
The AQI reports on how clean the air is and
whether it will affect your health. Reduce your
outdoor activity as much as possible on poor air
quality days. You can learn more about the AQI
by visiting www.epa.gov/airnow. You also can
learn more about the daily air quality through
newspaper, television, and radio weather
reports.
Pesticides and Cleaning Agents
Pesticides and cleaning agents, in the form of
powders, gels, liquids, or sprays, are powerful
chemicals used in the home and garden to
clean surfaces and kill pests. Overexposure to
the harmful chemicals in pesticides and cleaning
agents can lead to:
Headaches
Dizziness
Muscle twitches
Nausea, and
Weakness
If you, a family member, or friend experiences
any of these symptoms, call your local poison
control center.
Emergency room surveys suggest that children
under six are more likely to be poisoned while
visiting grandparentswhere poisons are more
likely to be in reach and without child-proof
closuresthan in their own homes.
While older adults accounted for less than three
percent of reported poisoning incidents, they
were twice as likely as children and younger
adults to experience a serious outcome and 10
times as likely to die as a result of exposure
to these chemicals.11 In addition, long-term
exposure to pesticides has been linked to health
problems such as cancer and neurological
problems such as dementia.1213
How to Avoid or Minimize
Your Exposure to Pesticides or
Cleaning Agents
Keep products in the container in which they
came. Read the labels carefully and follow all
the recommended precautions.
Dispose of pesticides and cleaning agents
according to label instructions.
When using products inside your home, leave
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doors and windows open and turn on a fan
so there is plenty of ventilation.
Only use the product in the problem
area. Limit the amount you use to the
recommendations on the label.
Never use outdoor products indoors. Be
sure to close the doors and windows of your
home before applying products outside.
After using these products, always wash your
hands and any other parts of your body or
clothing that might have been exposed to
them.
Lead
Did you know that the lead you were exposed
to earlier in your life is still in your body?
Lead is stored in your bones where it may not
have any negative health effects until later in
life. During menopause, bone stores break
down and release accumulated lead into your
bloodstream. Among older women, blood lead
levels may be up to 25 to 30 percent higher
than prior to menopause.14
These increases, combined with environmental
exposure to lead in water or the home, can
have negative health impacts. Higher blood lead
levels can increase your risk for hypertension,
atherosclerosis, and reduced kidney function.14
In addition, poisoning can lead to decreased
cognitive functioning, with symptoms that are
similar to dementia.15
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Did you know?
Use of hormone therapy for
menopause may increase
your risk of developing
asthma.9
In 2003, more than 63,000
women died from COPD,
compared to 59,000 men.2
Diabetes is a major women's
health problem, particularly
for African Americans and
American Indian/Alaska
Natives.10
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What Can You Do?
See a doctor right away if you experience
symptoms such as headaches, dizziness,
muscle twitches, nausea, or weakness.
Call your local public water supplier for annual
drinking water quality reports. Have private
water wells tested annually by a certified
laboratory. For more information call the EPA's
Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791
or www.epa.gov/safewater).
Leave lead-based paint undisturbed if it is in
good condition; do not sand or burn off paint
that may contain lead.
Do not remove lead paint yourself. To remove
lead hazards, hire a certified abatement
professional.
Where Can I Go to Learn More?
Aging Adults and Environmental Health Issues
EPA's Aging Initiative is working to protect the
health of older adults from environmental
hazards through risk management and prevention
strategies, education, and research. For more
information about EPA's Aging Initiative, visit www.
epa.gov/aging
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Older Adults and Air Quality
http://airnow.gov/index.cfm?action=
static.olderadults
Air Quality
Environmental Protection Agency
Air Quality Index
www.a i rn ow.gov
Indoor Air Quality
www.epa.gov/iaq/
Smoke Free Homes
www.epa.gov/smokefree/
Environmental Health
MedlinePlus
www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/
airpollution.html
Heart Disease and Stroke
American Heart Association
http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.
jhtml?identifier=4786
Lung Diseases
National Heart Lung and Blood Institute
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/
lung/index.htm
American Lung Association
http://www.lungusa.org
Women's Health Issues
National Research Center for Women and
Families
http://www.center4research.org/
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
http://www.4women.gov/
Endnotes
1 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
http://www.cdc.gov/DHDSP/announcements/
american_heart_month.htm
2 American Lung Association, http://www.lungusa.
http://www.lungusa.org/site/apps/s/content.asp?c=d
vLUK900E&b=34706&Ct=3052283
3 Muldon, S.B.; Cauley, J.A.; Kuller, L.H.; Morrow,
L; Needleman, H.L; Scott, J.; Hooper, F.J.; Effects of
blood levels on cognitive function of older women.
4 American Heart Association,
http://www.americanheart.org/presenter/
jhtml?identifier=4419
5 Brook, R.D.; Franklin B.; Cascio W.; Hong, Y.;
Howard G.; Lipsett, M.; Luepker, R.; Mittleman, M.;
Samet, J.; Smith Jr, S.C.; and Tager, I., 2004. Air
pollution and cardiovascular disease. Circulation
109:2655-2671. http://circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/
content/full/109/21/2655
6 Zanobetti, A.; and Schwartz, J., 2007. Particulate air
pollution, progression, and survival after myocardial
infarction. Environmental Health Perspectives
115(5):769-774.
7 Miller, K.A.; Siscovick, D.S.; Sheppard, L; Shepherd,
K.; Sullivan, J.H.; Anderson, G.L.; and Kaufman,
J.D., 2007. Long-term exposure to air pollution and
incidence of cardiovascular events in women. N Engl J
Of Med. 365(5):447-458.
8 Zanobetti, A. and Schwartz, J., 2002. Cardiovascular
damage by airborne particles: are diabetics are more
susceptible? Epidemiology 13(5): 588-592.
9 Barr, R.G.; Wentowski, C.C.; Grodstein, F.;
Somers, S.C.; Stampfer, M.J.; Schwartz, J.; Speizer,
F.E.; and Camargo, C.A. 2004. Perspective study of
postmenopausal hormone use and newly diagnosed
asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Arch Intern Med. 164: 379 - 386.
10 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
http://www.4woman.gov/minority/americanindian/
diabetes.cfm.
11 National Poison Control Center Data, 1993-1998.
12 Dich, J.; Zahm, S.H.; Hanberg, A.; and Adami,
H., 2004. Pesticides and cancer. Cancer Causes &
Control,8(3), 420-443.
13 Kamel, F. and Hoppin, J.A., 2004. Association
of pesticide exposure with neurologic dysfunction
and disease. Environmental Health Perspective,
112(9),950-958.
14 Nash, D.; Magder, L.S.; Sherwin, R.; Rubin, R.J.;
and Silbergeld, E.K., 2004. Bone density-related
predictors of blood lead level among pre- and
postmenopausal women in the United States.
American Journal of Epidemiology, 160, 901-911.
15 Carpenter, D.O., 2001. Effects of metals on the
nervous system of humans and animals. International
Journal of Occupational Medicine and Environmental
Health, 14(3), 209-218.
Publication Number EPA 100-F-07-028
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