December 2007
Heart disease is
the tl killer of
women over
age 65.
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,
Call the National Poison Control Center if you
or someone shows symptoms of having been
poisoned (1-800-222-1222).
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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
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 attack5'6 and possibly
death, especially among
postmenopausal women.7
If you have a lung disease, air
pollution can enter your
respiratory tract and cause
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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
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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.12'13
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 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
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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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
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
Older Adults and Air Quality
http://airnow.gov/index.cfm7act
ion= static.olderadults
Air Quality
Environmental Protection Agency
Air Quality Index:
www.airnow.gov
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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/healt
h/publk/lung/index.htm
American Lung Association
http://www.lungusa.org
Women's Health Issues
National Research Center for
Women and Families
http://www.center4 research.
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/anno
uncements/american_heart_
month.htm
2 American Lung Association,
http://www.lungusa.http://www.lu
ngusa.org/site/apps/s/content.asp
?c=dvLUK9OOE&b=34706&ct=305
2283
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.
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7 Miller, KA; 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, R; 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 per- 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.
ectingtht Health
f Older Americans
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