Ambient Particulate Matter Air Pollution Exposure and Mortality in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Cohort

Abstract

Background:Outdoor fine particulate matter (≤ 2.5 μm; PM2.5) has been identified as a global health threat, but the number of large U.S. prospective cohort studies with individual participant data remains limited, especially at lower recent exposures.Objectives:We aimed to test the relationship between long-term exposure PM2.5 and death risk from all nonaccidental causes, cardiovascular (CVD), and respiratory diseases in 517,041 men and women enrolled in the National Institutes of Health-AARP cohort.Methods:Individual participant data were linked with residence PM2.5 exposure estimates across the continental United States for a 2000–2009 follow-up period when matching census tract–level PM2.5 exposure data were available. Participants enrolled ranged from 50 to 71 years of age, residing in six U.S. states and two cities. Cox proportional hazard models yielded hazard ratio (HR) estimates per 10 μg/m3 of PM2.5 exposure.Results:PM2.5 exposure was significantly associated with total mortality (HR = 1.03; 95% CI: 1.00, 1.05) and CVD mortality (HR = 1.10; 95% CI: 1.05, 1.15), but the association with respiratory mortality was not statistically significant (HR = 1.05; 95% CI: 0.98, 1.13). A significant association was found with respiratory mortality only among never smokers (HR = 1.27; 95% CI: 1.03, 1.56). Associations with 10-μg/m3 PM2.5 exposures in yearly participant residential annual mean, or in metropolitan area-wide mean, were consistent with baseline exposure model results. Associations with PM2.5 were similar when adjusted for ozone exposures. Analyses of California residents alone also yielded statistically significant PM2.5 mortality HRs for total and CVD mortality.Conclusions:Long-term exposure to PM2.5 air pollution was associated with an increased risk of total and CVD mortality, providing an independent test of the PM2.5–mortality relationship in a new large U.S. prospective cohort experiencing lower post-2000 PM2.5 exposure levels.Citation:Thurston GD, Ahn J, Cromar KR, Shao Y, Reynolds HR, Jerrett M, Lim CC, Shanley R, Park Y, Hayes RB. 2016. Ambient particulate matter air pollution exposure and mortality in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health cohort. Environ Health Perspect 124:484–490; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1509676

A joint ERS/ATS policy statement: what constitutes an adverse health effect of air pollution? An analytical framework

“…Although a meta-analysis using data from 22 European cohort studies reported no clear association between deaths from cardiovascular diseases and long-term concentrations of several PM metrics [64], many other studies have reported associations between long-term averages of air pollutant concentrations and increased cardiovascular mortality and morbidity [65–72] or increased risks of coronary heart disease or coronary events [66, 73, 74]. As an example, in a study of 11 European cohorts, the risk of coronary events was increased by 13% for each 5 µg·m −3 increase in PM 2.5 .…”

Levels, Sources, Markers and Health Risks of Heavy Metals in PM2.5 Over a Typical Mining and Metallurgical City of Central China

“…Epidemiological studies have confirmed that cardiovascular morbidity and mortality are closely related to atmospheric particulate concentrations (Brook et al 2010;Pope et al 2002Pope et al , 2009Thurston et al 2016). Atmospheric particulate matter (PM) is important carrier of toxic and harmful metal elements (such as Cr, As, Cd, Ni, Cu, Pb, Zn, etc.)…”

Role of astrocyte activation in fine particulate matter-enhancement of existing ischemic stroke in Sprague-Dawley male rats

“…Air pollution is known to be a widespread public health concern due to enhanced morbidity and increased mortality rates associated with exposure (Costa et al, 2014;Tsai et al, 2014a;Chang et al, 2015;Thurston et al, 2015). The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) of the World Health Organization (WHO) defined outdoor air pollution as carcinogenic to humans (Loomis et al 2013).…”

“…Epidemiological investigations demonstrated that exposure to PM 2.5 increased the risk of developing respiratory diseases and lung cancer (Cui et al, 2015;Pope et al, 2011;Tsai et al, 2014b), as well as enhanced mortality and hospitalization rates for cardiovascular diseases (Chang et al, 2013, Chiu et al, 2014Lipsett et al, 2011;Thurston et al, 2015). Yang et al (2014) and Chiu et al (2014) showed that PM 2.5 exposure was associated with a higher frequency of stroke hospitalizations and mortality in humans.…”

“…The risk factors for stroke include hypertension, smoking, and obesity, among which the environment plays an important role, in particular air pollution (Costa et al, 2014, Tsai et al, 2014aChang et al, 2015;Thurston et al, 2015). Particulate air pollutants are correlated with a marked rise in hospital admissions and stroke mortality (Chiu et al, 2014;Wang et al, 2014;Yang et al, 2014).…”