Abstract
BackgroundAmbient fine particulate matter is a rising concern for global public health. It was recently suggested that exposure to fine particulate matter may contribute to the development of diabetes and dyslipidaemia. This study aims to examine the potential associations of ambient particulate matter exposure with changes in fasting glucose and lipid profiles in Koreans.MethodWe used the data from the National Health Insurance Service–National Sample Cohort (NHIS-NSC), a nationwide database representative of the Korean population. A total of 85,869 individuals aged ≥20 years were included. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to assess the associations between exposure to particulate matter and changes in fasting glucose and lipid profiles at 2-year intervals after adjusting for confounders.ResultsSignificant associations were observed between an increase in interquartile range for particulate matter < 2.5 μm in diameter (PM2.5) and elevated levels of fasting glucose and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (p for trend = 0.015 and 0.010, respectively), while no association for particulate matter sized 2.5–10 μm in diameter (PM10–2.5) was noted after adjusting for the other covariates. Sub-group analyses showed stronger associations in individuals who were older (≥60 years) or physically inactive.ConclusionsFine particulate matter exposure affects worsening fasting glucose and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, with no evidence of an association for coarse particulate matter.
Highlights
Ambient fine particulate matter is a rising concern for global public health
Significant associations were observed between an increase in interquartile range for particulate matter < 2.5 μm in diameter (PM2.5) and elevated levels of fasting glucose and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (p for trend = 0.015 and 0.010, respectively), while no association for particulate matter sized 2.5–10 μm in diameter (PM10–2.5) was noted after adjusting for the other covariates
We found no significant correlations of the changes in fasting blood glucose (FBG) and all the lipid profiles, including total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), with increases in PM with aerodynamic diameters of ≤10 μm (PM10)–2.5 concentrations at 2year intervals after adjusting for other covariates (P for trend≥0.05 for each of FBG, TC, TG, HDL-C, and LDLC)
Summary
It was recently suggested that exposure to fine particulate matter may contribute to the development of diabetes and dyslipidaemia. Several countries, including South Korea, that experienced industrialization and urbanization in recent decades have aggravated atmospheric quality and air pollution. These conditions have raised concern regarding the leading risk factors for the global burden of diseases [4, 5]. Some epidemiological studies have recently suggested that exposure to ambient PM may contribute to harmful health effects on metabolic systems, such as increased risks of hyperglycaemia and dyslipidaemia [9, 10], which are known as wellestablished cardiometabolic risks with strong evidence for developing diabetes and cardiovascular events [11]
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