Abstract

Background: In rural Senegal, biomass fuels are the main and often the only source of domestic energy for cooking. Their combustion is a source of particles and many other chemical contaminants that could alter cardiovascular function.

Aims and Objectives: The aim of our study was to assess the effects of exposure to biomass fumes on vascular function in non-smoking women in rural Senegal.

Materials and Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional 8-month study of 64 women (32 exposed to biomass smoke and 32 unexposed controls) who were active or housewives and involved in cooking. The subjects were aged 33.56 ± 9.34 years and 30.22 ± 6 years, respectively. All the women received a questionnaire with questions on sociodemographic characteristics, habitat characteristics, cooking habits, and biomass exposure conditions. Flow-mediated brachial arterial vasodilation flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) expressed as a percentage of the diameter was measured basally at rest and post-compression at 5, 30, 60, 90, and 120 s and 10 min after deflation.

Results: All participants were non-smokers. 12.5% of subjects used gas in addition to biomass. Seniority was 18. 90 ± 10 years, with a mean daily biomass exposure of 4 ± 1 h. The analysis of cardiovascular parameters and blood sugar found no significant difference between the two groups. Kinetic FMD comparisons between the two groups showed significant differences at points 60 and 90 s 10 min post-occlusion. A negative correlation was found between FMD at 90 s after deflation and the duration of exposure in exposed women (r = 0.44 P < 0.05).

Conclusion: Our results showed that exposure to biomass is implicated in the appearance of vascular dysfunction in non-smoking women.

Key words: Biomass; Cow Dung; Wood; Vascular Dysfunction; Flow-mediated Dilatation