Long-Term PM₂.₅ Exposure Linked to Increased Risk for Cardiovascular Events

MONDAY, March 13, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Long-term exposure to fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) is associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular events, according to a study published online Feb. 24 in JAMA Network Open.

Stacey E. Alexeeff, Ph.D., from the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research in Oakland, California, and colleagues examined the associations between long-term PM_2.5 air pollution and cardiovascular events in a retrospective cohort study involving adults in the Kaiser Permanente Northern California integrated health care system during 2007 to 2016 and followed for up to 10 years.

The study cohort included 3.7 million adults. The researchers found that a 10-μg/m³ increase in one-year mean PM_2.5 was associated with a 12, 21, and 8 percent increased risk for incident acute myocardial infarction (AMI), ischemic heart disease (IHD) mortality, and cardiovascular disease mortality, respectively. Compared with low concentrations (<8 μg/m³), exposure to PM_2.5 at moderate concentrations (10.0 to 11.9 μg/m³) was associated with increased risks for incident AMI and IHD mortality (6 and 7 percent, respectively).

"We also found associations at moderate versus low concentrations of PM_2.5, adding to the evidence that the current regulatory standard of 12 μg/m³ is not sufficiently protective of health," the authors write.

Abstract/Full Text