Erdoğmuş, BeşirYazıcı, BurhanAnnakkaya, Ali NihatBilgin, CahitŞafak, Alp AlperArbak, Peri MeramTugay, Ali2020-04-302020-04-3020060091-2751https://doi.org/10.1002/jcu.20276https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12684/3404Annakkaya, Ali Nihat N/0000-0002-7661-8830; BILGIN, CAHIT/0000-0003-2213-5881WOS: 000243291500002PubMed: 17078025Purpose. To assess the effects of exposure to exhaust particles on intima-media thickness of the common carotid artery in highway toll collectors, Methods. Sixty-one highway toll collectors (HTCs) between 24 and 56 years of age (mean, 36.2 +/- 7.3) and 48 controls between 24 and 64 years of age (mean, 42.6 +/- 10.6) were evaluated with gray-scale sonography to measure intima-media thickness (IMT) of the common carotid artery (CCA). Subgroups were categorized according to duration of exhaust exposure and further divided according to tobacco use. Results. CCA IMT was higher (0.8 +/- 0.2 mm) in HTCs than in the control group (0.6 +/- 0.1 mm; p < 0.001) and remained higher when subgroups with similar smoking habits were compared. In HTCs, IMT was greater when the number of years working in tollbooths was greater (p = 0.023). IMT was lower in HTCs with an exposure duration of < 10 years compared with a duration of 10-20years (p = 0.017) or > 20years (p value not significant). Conclusion. Air pollution has a widely acknowledged negative effect on humans. This study confirms that exposure to exhaust particles might cause wall thickening of carotid arteries. (c) 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.en10.1002/jcu.20276info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccessair pollutioncarotid arteryexhaust particleintima-media thicknessB-mode ultrasoundArticle349430433WOS:000243291500002Q3