Key result
Radiation exposure is linearly linked to increased atherosclerotic calcification and plaque in atomic bomb survivors.
Why the study?
Total-body irradiation at low to moderate doses could increase cardiovascular disease risk, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear.
Does radiation exposure increase the risk of atherosclerosis (arterial stiffness, calcification, and plaque) in atomic bomb survivors?
Cross-Sectional (n=3,274)
Yes
Does radiation exposure increase the risk of atherosclerosis (arterial stiffness, calcification, and plaque) in atomic bomb survivors?
Effect estimate: Standardized coefficient 0.15 (95% CI 0.070, 0.23)
Total-body radiation exposure from atomic bombings is significantly associated with increased subclinical atherosclerosis, specifically calcification and plaque formation, equivalent to approximately 2 years of aging per Gy.
Association in atomic bomb survivors does not imply causality; leaves open effects on atherosclerosis in other populations.
Past reports indicated that total-body irradiation at low to moderate doses could be responsible for cardiovascular disease risks, but the mechanism remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between radiation exposure and atherosclerosis, an underlying pathology of cardiovascular diseases, in the Japanese atomic bomb survivors. We performed a cross-sectional study measuring 14 clinical-physiological atherosclerosis indicators during clinical exams from 2010 to 2014 in 3274 participants of the Adult Health Study cohort. Multivariable analyses were performed by using a structural equation model with latent factors representing underlying atherosclerotic pathologies: (1) arterial stiffness, (2) calcification, and (3) plaque as measured with indicators chosen a priori on the basis of clinical-physiological knowledge. Radiation was linearly associated with calcification (standardized coefficient per Gy 0.15, 95 % confidence interval: CI [0.070, 0.23]) and plaque (0.11, 95 % CI [0.029, 0.20]), small associations that were comparable to about 2 years of aging per Gy of radiation exposure, but not with arterial stiffness (0.036, 95 % CI [- 0.025, 0.095]). The model fitted better and had narrower confidence intervals than separate ordinary regression models explaining individual indicators independently. The associations were less evident when the dose range was restricted to a maximum of 2 or 1 Gy. By combining individual clinical-physiological indicators that are correlated because of common, underlying atherosclerotic pathologies, we found a small, but significant association of radiation with atherosclerosis.
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Nakamizo et al. (2021) conducted a cross-sectional in Atherosclerosis (n=3,274). Radiation exposure vs. Lower or no radiation exposure was evaluated on Atherosclerotic calcification (latent factor) (Standardized coefficient 0.15, 95% CI 0.070, 0.23). Radiation exposure was linearly associated with increased atherosclerotic calcification (standardized coefficient 0.15 per Gy) and plaque (0.11 per Gy) in atomic bomb survivors.
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