Association of long-term exposure to fine particulate matter and incident dyslipidaemia: A longitudinal cohort study

Abstract

Background: Evidence of the effects of long-term exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) air pollution on the development of dyslipidaemia is limited. This study aimed to investigate the association between long-term exposure to ambient PM2.5 and incident dyslipidaemia in a large cohort. Methods: We studied 66,702 participants aged ≥18 years belonging to a cohort from a standard medical examination programme conducted in Taiwan between 2001 and 2014. The PM2.5 concentration at each participant's address was estimated using a satellite-based spatiotemporal model at a high resolution (1 km2). A time-varying Cox regression model was used to examine the association between long-term exposure to ambient PM2.5 and the development of dyslipidaemia. Additionally, sensitivity analyses were conducted to examine the stability of these associations. Results: Compared with participants exposed to the 1st tertile of PM2.5, participants exposed to the 2nd and 3rd tertiles of PM2.5 had respective hazard ratios of 1.02 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.98–1.06] and 1.08 (95%CI: 1.04–1.13) for incident dyslipidaemia. Sensitivity analyses generally yielded similar results. Conclusion: Long-term exposure to ambient PM2.5 is associated with a higher risk of dyslipidaemia. Global strategies for reducing air pollution are needed to prevent the development of dyslipidaemia.