Short-term exposure to ambient air pollution and acute myocardial infarction attack risk

Abstract

It is still unclear about the association between ambient air pollution and attack risk of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in South China. This study assessed the effects of short-term exposure to ambient air pollutants on hospital admission of AMI in Guangzhou, South China. We obtained the information on 19,622 hospital admissions of AMI from the Guangzhou Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Disease Event Surveillance System during the years from 2014 to 2017. Daily concentrations of air pollution data on particulate matter < 2.5 μm in diameter (PM2.5), sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and ozone (O3) were available from the Daily Quality Report of the Guangzhou Environmental Protection Bureau during the study period. The effects of air pollution exposure on the risk of AMI hospital admission were assessed using Poisson generalized additive models. Risk estimates were reported as the percent increase in daily hospital admissions of AMI for an interquartile range (IQR) increment in air pollution concentrations. On average, there were 13 hospital admissions of AMI each day. After controlling for the pollutants, including PM2.5, SO2, and O3, and other time-varying factors, a 21.26-μg/m3 increment in the 2-day moving average of same-day and previous-day NO2 concentrations was statistically linked to an increase of 6.38% [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.33%, 11.67%] of AMI hospital admissions. Additionally, per IQR increment in the 2-day moving average exposure of same-day and previous-day NO2 pollutant levels was linked to a 7.85% (95% CI: 1.19%, 14.95%) increase of AMI hospital admissions among people aged above 65 years old. An effect modification of risk by gender was found, suggesting that females were more susceptible to the exposure to NO2 pollutant. A statistical association between NO2 exposure and AMI attack risk is identified, which can provide insight into the planning of clinical services for AMI.