Desert Dust Is a Risk Factor for the Incidence of Acute Myocardial Infarction in Western Japan

Abstract

Background-Recently, there has been increasing concern about adverse health effects of exposure to desert dust events.However, the association between dust and the incidence of ischemic heart diseases is unknown. The aim of the present study was to elucidate whether Asian dust (AD), a windblown sand dust originating from mineral soil in China and Mongolia, is associated with the incidence of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Methods and Results-We investigated the data regarding hospitalization because of AMI among 3068 consecutive patients from 4 AMI centers in Fukuoka, Japan, and data for AD from April 2003 to December 2010. We applied a time-stratified case-crossover design to examine the association between AD and the incidence of AMI. Using a conditional logistic regression analysis, we estimated the odds ratios of AMI associated with AD after controlling for ambient temperature and relative humidity. The occurrence of AD events 0 to 4 days before the day of admission was significantly associated with the incidence of AMI. In particular, the occurrence of AD 4 days before admission was significantly associated with the onset of AMI. Conclusions-These data suggest that exposure to AD a few days before symptom onset is associated with the incidence of AMI. (Circ Cardiovasc Qual Outcomes. 2014;7:743-748.)

Exposure to Asian dust within a few days of delivery is associated with placental abruption in Japan: a case‐crossover study

“…Exposure to particulate matter may lead to acute biological responses, such as inflammation and ischaemia, which appear capable of extending into the uterus . Although our explanation remains a matter of speculation, our findings in this study do not conflict with past epidemiological evidence of the association between exposure to Asian dust and acute cardiovascular disease related to inflammation …”

“…Previously, we reported that short‐term exposure to air pollutants was a potential trigger of abruption . In this study, we have drawn attention to Asian dust because earlier studies have suggested that the acute biological effects of Asian dust, such as systemic inflammation, appeared to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease . Inflammation is likely to be related to the occurrence of abruption; thus, we wondered about the acute effects of Asian dust on decidual arteries, as well as on coronary and cerebral arteries.…”

“…Therefore, the health effects of Asian dust have become a matter of public concern. In this decade, several studies have reported that exposure to Asian dust was associated not only with acute respiratory events but also with acute cardiovascular events . The biological mechanisms linking Asian dust to cardiovascular disease remain unclear; however, the consistent association between exposure to Asian dust and ischaemic heart disease and ischaemic stroke, which are intimately related to inflammation, is worthy of attention.…”

A Systematic Review of Global Desert Dust and Associated Human Health Effects

“…There was also no significant increase in cardiovascular emergency department visits or in hospital admissions during the dust storm period in Sydney, Australia [78], but the occurrence of dust events 0 to 4 d before the day of hospital admission was significantly associated with the incidence of acute myocardial infarction [162].…”

Environment, Global Climate Change, and Cardiopulmonary Health

“…In addition, land degradation contributes a significant amount of stress on food production that could potentially lead to future famine in affected countries. Sand dust storms have been associated with increased risk of cardiopulmonary morbidity (20)(21)(22)(23), as well as mortality (24), although the evidence is somewhat inconsistent for mortality due to ischemic heart disease (25). Laboratory models point to an inflammatory mechanism with desert dust particles increasing cellular permeability, inflammatory markers, and cellular toxicity in both in vivo (26) and in vitro models (27).…”