Dataset Information

Long-term exposure to fine particulate matter and hospitalization in COVID-19 patients.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Ecological evidence suggests that exposure to air pollution affects coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outcomes. However, no individual-level study has confirmed the association to date.

Methods

We identified COVID-19 patients diagnosed at the University of Cincinnati hospitals and clinics and estimated particulate matter ?2.5 ?m (PM_2.5) exposure over a 10-year period (2008-2017) at their residential zip codes. We used logistic regression to evaluate the association between PM_2.5 exposure and hospitalizations for COVID-19, adjusting for socioeconomic characteristics and comorbidities.

Results

Among the 1128 patients included in our study, the mean (standard deviation) PM_2.5 was 11.34 (0.70) ?g/m³ for the 10-year average exposure and 13.83 (1.03) ?g/m³ for the 10-year maximal exposures. The association between long-term PM_2.5 exposure and hospitalization for COVID-19 was contingent upon having pre-existing asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary (COPD) (P_interaction = 0.030 for average PM_2.5 and P_interaction = 0.001 for maximal PM_2.5). In COVID-19 patients with asthma or COPD, the odds of hospitalization were 62% higher with 1 ?g/m³ increment in 10-year average PM_2.5 (odds ratio [OR]: 1.62, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.00-2.64) and 65% higher with 1 ?g/m³ increase in 10-year maximal PM_2.5 levels (OR: 1.65, 95% CI: 1.16-2.35). However, among COVID-19 patients without asthma or COPD, PM_2.5 exposure was not associated with higher hospitalizations (OR: 0.84, 95% CI: 0.65-1.09 for average PM_2.5 and OR: 0.78, 95% CI: 0.65-0.95 for maximal PM_2.5).

Conclusions

Long-term exposure to PM_2.5 is associated with higher odds of hospitalization in COVID-19 patients with pre-existing asthma or COPD.

SUBMITTER: Mendy A

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7835077 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Long-term exposure to fine particulate matter and hospitalization in COVID-19 patients.

Mendy Angelico A Wu Xiao X Keller Jason L JL Fassler Cecily S CS Apewokin Senu S Mersha Tesfaye B TB Xie Changchun C Pinney Susan M SM

Respiratory medicine 20210126

<h4>Background</h4>Ecological evidence suggests that exposure to air pollution affects coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outcomes. However, no individual-level study has confirmed the association to date.<h4>Methods</h4>We identified COVID-19 patients diagnosed at the University of Cincinnati hospitals and clinics and estimated particulate matter ≤2.5 μm (PM<sub>2.5</sub>) exposure over a 10-year period (2008-2017) at their residential zip codes. We used logistic regression to evaluate the ass ...[more]

PMID: 33550152

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Project description:BackgroundCOVID-19 is a lung disease, and there is medical evidence that air pollution is one of the external causes of lung diseases. Fine particulate matter is one of the air pollutants that damages pulmonary tissue. The combination of the coronavirus and fine particulate matter air pollution may exacerbate the coronavirus' effect on human health.Research questionThis paper considers whether the long-term concentration of fine particulate matter of different sizes changes the number of detected coronavirus infections and the number of COVID-19 fatalities in Germany.Study designData from 400 German counties for fine particulate air pollution from 2002 to 2020 are used to measure the long-term impact of air pollution. Kriging interpolation is applied to complement data gaps. With an ecological study, the correlation between average particulate matter air pollution and COVID-19 cases, as well as fatalities, are estimated with OLS regressions. Thereby, socioeconomic and demographic covariates are included.Main findingsAn increase in the average long-term air pollution of 1 μg/m3 particulate matter PM2.5 is correlated with 199.46 (SD = 29.66) more COVID-19 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in Germany. For PM10 the respective increase is 52.38 (SD = 12.99) more cases per 100,000 inhabitants. The number of COVID-19 deaths were also positively correlated with PM2.5 and PM10 (6.18, SD = 1.44, respectively 2.11, SD = 0.71, additional COVID-19 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants).ConclusionLong-term fine particulate air pollution is suspected as causing higher numbers of COVID-19 cases. Higher long-term air pollution may even increase COVID-19 death rates. We find that the results of the correlation analysis without controls are retained in a regression analysis with controls for relevant confounding factors. Nevertheless, additional epidemiological investigations are required to test the causality of particulate matter air pollution for COVID-19 cases and the severity.

Project description:BACKGROUND:Long-term exposure to particulate matter (PM) air pollution may increase blood pressure and the risk of hypertension. However, epidemiological evidence is scarce and inconsistent. OBJECTIVES:We investigated the associations between long-term exposure to PM with an aerodynamic diameter <2.5?m (PM2.5), blood pressure, and incident hypertension in a large Taiwanese cohort. METHODS:We studied 361,560 adults ?18y old from a large cohort who participated in a standard medical examination program during 2001 to 2014. Among this group, 125,913 nonhypertensive participants were followed up. A satellite-based spatiotemporal model was used to estimate the 2-y average PM2.5 concentrations at each participant's address. Multivariable linear regression was used in the cross-sectional data analysis with the 361,560 participants to investigate the associations between PM2.5 and systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and pulse pressure (PP), and Cox proportional hazard regression was used in the cohort data analysis with the 125,913 participants to investigate the associations between PM2.5 and incident hypertension. RESULTS:Each 10-?g/m3 increment in the 2-y average PM2.5 concentration was associated with increases of 0.45?mmHg [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.40, 0.50], 0.07?mmHg (95% CI: 0.04, 0.11), and 0.38?mmHg (95% CI: 0.33, 0.42) in SBP, DBP, and PP, respectively, after adjusting for a wide range of covariates and possible confounders. Each 10-?g/m3 increment in the 2-y average PM2.5 concentration was associated with an increase of 3% in the risk of developing hypertension [hazard?ratio=1.03 (95% CI: 1.01, 1.05)]. Stratified and sensitivity analyses yielded similar results. CONCLUSIONS:Long-term exposure to PM2.5 air pollution is associated with higher blood pressure and an increased risk of hypertension. These findings reinforce the importance of air pollution mitigation strategies to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP2466.

Dataset Information

Long-term exposure to fine particulate matter and hospitalization in COVID-19 patients.

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Long-term exposure to fine particulate matter and hospitalization in COVID-19 patients.

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