Long-Term Effects of Ambient PM _2.5 on Hypertension and Blood Pressure and Attributable Risk Among Older Chinese Adults

Abstract

Long-term exposure to ambient fine particulate pollution (PM2.5) has been associated with cardiovascular diseases. Hypertension, a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, has also been hypothesized to be linked to PM2.5. However, epidemiological evidence has been mixed. We examined long-term association between ambient PM2.5 and hypertension and blood pressure. We interviewed 12,665 participants aged 50 years and older and measured their blood pressures. Annual average PM2.5 concentrations were estimated for each community using satellite data. We applied two-level logistic regression models to examine the associations, and estimated hypertension burden attributable to ambient PM2.5. For each 10 μg/m3 increase in ambient PM2.5, the adjusted odds ratio of hypertension was 1.14 (95% confidence interval, 1.07, 1.22). Stratified analyses found that overweight and obesity could enhance the association, and consumption of fruit was associated with lower risk. We further estimated that 11.75% (95% confidence interval: 5.82%, 18.53%) of the hypertension cases (corresponding to 914, 95% confidence interval: 453, 1442 cases) could be attributable to ambient PM2.5 in the study population. Findings suggest that long-term exposure to ambient PM2.5 might be an important risk factor of hypertension, and is responsible for significant hypertension burden in adults in China. A higher consumption of fruit may mitigate, while overweight and obesity could enhance this effect.

Long-term exposure to residential ambient fine and coarse particulate matter and incident hypertension in post-menopausal women

“…Dong et al (2013) found statistically significant associations with prevalent hypertension for three-year average PM 10 in a Chinese population (OR: 1.12, 95% CI: 1.08, 1.16 per 19 μg/m 3 ) [12]. More recently, Lin et al (2017) observed a 10 μg/m 3 increase in one-year average PM 2.5 associated with higher odds of hypertension (OR 1.14, 95% CI: 1.07, 1.22) and Liu et al (2017) found an IQR increase (41.7 μg/m 3 ) in 9-month average PM 2.5 to be associated with 1.11 (95% CI: 1.05, 1.17) times the odds of hypertension [46, 47]. …”

Long‐Term Effects of Ambient Particulate Matter (With an Aerodynamic Diameter ≤2.5 μm) on Hypertension and Blood Pressure and Attributable Risk Among Reproductive‐Age Adults in China

“…High blood pressure (BP) ranked the first leading risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality . In the past several years, a growing body of epidemiological studies has examined whether long‐term exposures to ambient fine particulate matter (with an aerodynamic diameter ≤2.5 μm; PM 2.5 ) pollution increase the risk of hypertension, but the findings are inconsistent . The inconsistent results may be attributable to the heterogeneity in particulate matter sizes or constituents between geographic regions.…”

The role of nutrition in influencing mechanisms involved in environmentally mediated diseases

“…In another study among older Chinese adults, it was found that long-term exposure to ambient fine particle pollution contributed significantly to hypertension in this population group (76). It was also observed that higher consumption of fruit might mitigate, whereas overweight and obesity could enhance this pollution-induced risk of hypertension (76).…”

“…In another study among older Chinese adults, it was found that long-term exposure to ambient fine particle pollution contributed significantly to hypertension in this population group (76). It was also observed that higher consumption of fruit might mitigate, whereas overweight and obesity could enhance this pollution-induced risk of hypertension (76). Most of all, interactions between nutrition and air pollution are particularly critical during developmental phases, and thus could possibly alter the odds of congenital heart defects in offspring (77).…”