Exposure to indoor radon can be a concern in studies on the role of short-term exposure to air pollution and mortality

2018 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 315-317 ◽  
Author(s):  
S.M.J. Mortazavi

Abstract Recent studies show that short-term exposure to ambient particulate matter is associated with more emergency department visits and hospitalizations for pneumonia as well as increased mortality and increased health care costs among older adults. Moreover, exposure to ambient particulate matter is shown to be connected with an increased rate of daily mortality and hospitalizations due to cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). The association between short-term exposures to particulate matter with a diameter less than 2.5 µm (PM2.5) and ozone [at levels below the current daily National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS)] and mortality in the continental United States has been recently addressed by some researchers. Although exposure to radon is usually known to cause late health effects such as lung cancer, some studies show a significant association between radon exposure and cerebrovascular disease (CeVD) mortality. In some residential areas with high levels of radon, it has been found that the incidences of respiratory, nervous system and cardiovascular system diseases exceed the average. Studies that calculated the radiation dose to blood and the walls of coronary arteries from radon and progeny also indicate that exposure to radon can increase the incidence of CVDs. Based on the evidence provided in this short communication, it can be concluded that ignoring the key role of radon in non-cancer mortality can easily affect the validity of the studies aimed at investigating the association between exposure to ambient fine particulate matter and mortality.

Author(s):  
Jiyoung Shin ◽  
Jongmin Oh ◽  
In Sook Kang ◽  
Eunhee Ha ◽  
Wook Bum Pyun

Background/Aim: Previous studies have suggested that the short-term ambient air pollution and temperature are associated with myocardial infarction. In this study, we aimed to conduct a time-series analysis to assess the impact of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and temperature on acute myocardial infarction (AMI) among adults over 20 years of age in Korea by using the data from the Korean National Health Information Database (KNHID). Methods: The daily data of 192,567 AMI cases in Seoul were collected from the nationwide, population-based KNHID from 2005 to 2014. The monitoring data of ambient PM2.5 from the Seoul Research Institute of Public Health and Environment were also collected. A generalized additive model (GAM) that allowed for a quasi-Poisson distribution was used to analyze the effects of PM2.5 and temperature on the incidence of AMI. Results: The models with PM2.5 lag structures of lag 0 and 2-day averages of lag 0 and 1 (lag 01) showed significant associations with AMI (Relative risk [RR]: 1.011, CI: 1.003–1.020 for lag 0, RR: 1.010, CI: 1.000–1.020 for lag 01) after adjusting the covariates. Stratification analysis conducted in the cold season (October–April) and the warm season (May–September) showed a significant lag 0 effect for AMI cases in the cold season only. Conclusions: In conclusion, acute exposure to PM2.5 was significantly associated with AMI morbidity at lag 0 in Seoul, Korea. This increased risk was also observed at low temperatures.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiyoung Shin ◽  
Jongmin Oh ◽  
In Sook Kang ◽  
Eunhee Ha ◽  
Wook Bum Pyun

Abstract Background/Aim: Previous studies have suggested that the short-term ambient air pollution and temperature are associated with myocardial infarction. In this study, we aimed to conduct a time-series analysis to assess the impact of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and temperature on acute myocardial infarction (AMI) among adults over 20 years of age in Korea by using the data from the Korean National Health Information Database (KNHID).Methods: Daily data of 197,940 AMI cases in Seoul were collected from the nationwide, population-based KNHID from 2005 to 2014. Monitoring data of ambient PM2.5 from the Seoul Research Institute of Public Health and Environment were also collected. A generalized additive model (GAM) that allowed for a quasi-Poisson distribution was used to analyze the effects of PM2.5 and temperature on the incidence of AMI.Results: The models with PM2.5 lag structures of lag 0 and 2-day averages of lag 0 and 1 (lag 01) showed significant associations with AMI (Relative risk [RR]: 1.011, CI: 1.003–1.020 for lag 0, RR: 1.010, CI: 1.000–1.020 for lag 01) after adjusting the covariates. Stratification analysis conducted in the cold season (October–April) and the warm season (May–September) showed a significant lag 0 effect for AMI cases in the cold season only.Conclusions: In conclusion, acute exposure to PM2.5 was significantly associated with AMI morbidity at lag 0 in Seoul, Korea. This increased risk was also observed at low temperatures.


Circulation ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 132 (suppl_3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kent G Meredith ◽  
C A Pope ◽  
Joseph B Muhlestein ◽  
Jeffrey L Anderson ◽  
John B Cannon ◽  
...  

Introduction: Air pollution is associated with greater cardiovascular event risk, but which types of events and the specific at-risk individuals remain unknown. Hypothesis: Short-term exposure to fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) is associated with greater risk of acute coronary syndromes (ACS), including ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI), and unstable angina (USA). Methods: ACS events treated at Intermountain Healthcare hospitals in Utah’s urban Wasatch Front region between September 10, 1993 and May 15, 2014 were included if the patient resided in that area (N=16,314). A time-stratified case-crossover design was performed matching the PM 2.5 exposure at the time of event with periods when the event did not occur (referent), for STEMI, NSTEMI, and USA. Patients served as their own controls. Odds ratios (OR) were determined for exposure threshold versus linear, non-threshold models. Results: In STEMI, NSTEMI, and USA patients, age averaged 62, 64, and 63 years; males constituted 73%, 66%, and 68%; current or past smoking was prevalent in 33%, 25%, and 26%; and significant coronary artery disease (CAD) (defined as ≥1 coronary with ≥70% stenosis) was found among 95%, 75%, and 74%, respectively. Short-term PM 2.5 exposure was associated with ACS events (Table). Conclusions: Short-term exposure of PM 2.5 was strongly associated with greater risk of STEMI, especially in patients with angiographic CAD. No association with NSTEMI was found, and only a weak effect for USA. This study supports a PM 2.5 exposure threshold of 25 μg/m 3 , below which little exposure effect is seen, while the effect is linear above that level.


2015 ◽  
Vol 46 (5) ◽  
pp. 1361-1369 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerhard Weinreich ◽  
Thomas E. Wessendorf ◽  
Noreen Pundt ◽  
Gudrun Weinmayr ◽  
Frauke Hennig ◽  
...  

Scarce evidence suggests that ambient air pollution and temperature might play a role in incidence and severity of sleep disordered breathing (SDB). We investigated the association of short-term exposure to fine particulate matter (particles with a 50% cut-off aerodynamic diameter of 10 μm (PM10)), ozone and temperature with SDB in the general population.Between 2006 and 2008, 1773 participants (aged 50–80 years) of the Heinz Nixdorf Recall study underwent screening for SDB, as defined by the apnoea–hypopnoea index (AHI). We assessed daily exposure to PM10, ozone, temperature and humidity. We used multiple linear regression to estimate associations of daily PM10, ozone levels and temperature on the day of screening, adjusting for relative humidity, season, age, sex, body mass index, education, smoking habits, alcohol consumption and physical activity.In the study population, the mean±sdAHI was 11.2±11.4 events·h−1. Over all seasons, an interquartile range increase in temperature (8.6°C) and ozone (39.5 µg·m−3) was associated with a 10.2% (95% CI 1.2–20.0%) and 10.1% (95% CI 2.0–18.9%) increase in AHI, respectively. Associations for temperature were stronger in summer, yielding a 32.4% (95% CI 0.0–75.3%) increase in AHI per 8.6°C (p-value for season–temperature interaction 0.08). We observed that AHI was not associated with PM10.This study suggests that short-term variations in ozone concentration and temperature are associated with SDB.


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