Ambient air pollution and risk of respiratory infection among adults: evidence from the multiethnic study of atherosclerosis (MESA)
Background Air pollution may affect the risk of respiratory infection, though research has focused on uncommon infections or infections in children. Whether ambient air pollutants increase the risk of common acute respiratory infections among adults is uncertain, yet this may help understand whether...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMJ Publishing Group
2021-01-01
|
| Series: | BMJ Open Respiratory Research |
| Online Access: | https://bmjopenrespres.bmj.com/content/8/1/e000866.full |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1846157982529748992 |
|---|---|
| author | Anjum Hajat Kipruto Kirwa Carly M Eckert Sverre Vedal Joel D Kaufman |
| author_facet | Anjum Hajat Kipruto Kirwa Carly M Eckert Sverre Vedal Joel D Kaufman |
| author_sort | Anjum Hajat |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background Air pollution may affect the risk of respiratory infection, though research has focused on uncommon infections or infections in children. Whether ambient air pollutants increase the risk of common acute respiratory infections among adults is uncertain, yet this may help understand whether pollutants influence spread of pandemic respiratory infections like COVID-19.Objective To estimate the association between ambient air pollutant exposures and respiratory infections in adults.Methods During five study examinations over 12 years, 6536 participants in the multiethnic study of atherosclerosis (MESA) reported upper respiratory tract infections, bronchitis, pneumonia or febrile illness in the preceding 2 weeks. Using a validated spatiotemporal model, we estimated residential concentrations of ambient PM2.5, NOx and NO2 for the 2–6 weeks (short-term) and year (long-term) prior to each examination.Results In this population aged 44–84 years at baseline, 10%–32% of participants reported a recent respiratory infection, depending on month of examination and study region. PM2.5, NOx and NO2 concentrations over the prior 2–6 weeks were associated with increased reporting of recent respiratory infection, with risk ratios (95% CIs) of 1.04 (1.00 to 1.09), 1.15 (1.10 to 1.20) and 1.21 (1.10 to 1.33), respectively, per increase from 25th to 75th percentile in residential pollutant concentration.Conclusion Higher short-term exposure to PM2.5 and traffic-related pollutants are associated with increased risk of symptomatic acute respiratory infections among adults. These findings may provide an insight into the epidemiology of COVID-19. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-cc4782017e6642279ccbb996ffde84dd |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2052-4439 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2021-01-01 |
| publisher | BMJ Publishing Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMJ Open Respiratory Research |
| spelling | doaj-art-cc4782017e6642279ccbb996ffde84dd2024-11-24T20:50:07ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open Respiratory Research2052-44392021-01-018110.1136/bmjresp-2020-000866Ambient air pollution and risk of respiratory infection among adults: evidence from the multiethnic study of atherosclerosis (MESA)Anjum Hajat0Kipruto Kirwa1Carly M Eckert2Sverre Vedal3Joel D Kaufman42 Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA1 Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington School of Public Health, Seattle, Washington, USA1 Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington School of Public Health, Seattle, Washington, USA1 Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington School of Public Health, Seattle, Washington, USA3 Departments of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, Medicine, and Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USABackground Air pollution may affect the risk of respiratory infection, though research has focused on uncommon infections or infections in children. Whether ambient air pollutants increase the risk of common acute respiratory infections among adults is uncertain, yet this may help understand whether pollutants influence spread of pandemic respiratory infections like COVID-19.Objective To estimate the association between ambient air pollutant exposures and respiratory infections in adults.Methods During five study examinations over 12 years, 6536 participants in the multiethnic study of atherosclerosis (MESA) reported upper respiratory tract infections, bronchitis, pneumonia or febrile illness in the preceding 2 weeks. Using a validated spatiotemporal model, we estimated residential concentrations of ambient PM2.5, NOx and NO2 for the 2–6 weeks (short-term) and year (long-term) prior to each examination.Results In this population aged 44–84 years at baseline, 10%–32% of participants reported a recent respiratory infection, depending on month of examination and study region. PM2.5, NOx and NO2 concentrations over the prior 2–6 weeks were associated with increased reporting of recent respiratory infection, with risk ratios (95% CIs) of 1.04 (1.00 to 1.09), 1.15 (1.10 to 1.20) and 1.21 (1.10 to 1.33), respectively, per increase from 25th to 75th percentile in residential pollutant concentration.Conclusion Higher short-term exposure to PM2.5 and traffic-related pollutants are associated with increased risk of symptomatic acute respiratory infections among adults. These findings may provide an insight into the epidemiology of COVID-19.https://bmjopenrespres.bmj.com/content/8/1/e000866.full |
| spellingShingle | Anjum Hajat Kipruto Kirwa Carly M Eckert Sverre Vedal Joel D Kaufman Ambient air pollution and risk of respiratory infection among adults: evidence from the multiethnic study of atherosclerosis (MESA) BMJ Open Respiratory Research |
| title | Ambient air pollution and risk of respiratory infection among adults: evidence from the multiethnic study of atherosclerosis (MESA) |
| title_full | Ambient air pollution and risk of respiratory infection among adults: evidence from the multiethnic study of atherosclerosis (MESA) |
| title_fullStr | Ambient air pollution and risk of respiratory infection among adults: evidence from the multiethnic study of atherosclerosis (MESA) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Ambient air pollution and risk of respiratory infection among adults: evidence from the multiethnic study of atherosclerosis (MESA) |
| title_short | Ambient air pollution and risk of respiratory infection among adults: evidence from the multiethnic study of atherosclerosis (MESA) |
| title_sort | ambient air pollution and risk of respiratory infection among adults evidence from the multiethnic study of atherosclerosis mesa |
| url | https://bmjopenrespres.bmj.com/content/8/1/e000866.full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT anjumhajat ambientairpollutionandriskofrespiratoryinfectionamongadultsevidencefromthemultiethnicstudyofatherosclerosismesa AT kiprutokirwa ambientairpollutionandriskofrespiratoryinfectionamongadultsevidencefromthemultiethnicstudyofatherosclerosismesa AT carlymeckert ambientairpollutionandriskofrespiratoryinfectionamongadultsevidencefromthemultiethnicstudyofatherosclerosismesa AT sverrevedal ambientairpollutionandriskofrespiratoryinfectionamongadultsevidencefromthemultiethnicstudyofatherosclerosismesa AT joeldkaufman ambientairpollutionandriskofrespiratoryinfectionamongadultsevidencefromthemultiethnicstudyofatherosclerosismesa |