Skin diseases have become a global concern. This study aims to evaluate the associations between ambient air pollution and emergency room visits for skin diseases under the background of improving air quality in China. Based on 45,094 cases from a general hospital and fixed-site monitoring environmental data from 2014–2019 in Beijing, China, this study used generalized additive models with quasi-Poisson regression to estimate the exposure–health associations at lag 0–1 to lag 0–7. PM_2.5 and NO₂ exposure were associated with increased emergency room visits for total skin diseases (ICD10: L00-L99). Positive associations of PM_2.5, PM₁₀, O₃ and NO₂ with dermatitis/eczema (ICD-10: L20–30), as well as SO₂ and NO₂ with urticaria (ICD-10: L50) visits were also found. For instance, a 10 μg/m³ increase in PM_2.5 was associated with increases of 0.7% (95%CI: 0.2%, 1.2%) in total skin diseases visits at lag 0–5 and 1.1% (95%CI: 0.6%, 1.7%) in dermatitis/eczema visits at lag 0–1, respectively. For PM_2.5, PM₁₀ and CO, stronger annual associations were typically observed in the high-pollution (2014) and low-pollution (2018/2019) years. For instance, a 10 μg/m³ increase in PM_2.5 at lag 0–5 was associated with increases of 1.8% (95%CI: 1.0%, 2.6%) and 2.3% (95%CI: 0.4%, 4.3%) in total skin disease visits in 2014 and 2018, respectively. Our study emphasizes the necessity of controlling the potential health hazard of air pollutants on skin, although significant achievements in air quality control have been made in China.

Background: Climate change profoundly shapes the population health at the global scale. However, there was still insufficient and inconsistent evidence for the association between heat exposure and chronic kidney disease (CKD). Methods: In the present study, we studied the association of heat exposure with hospitalizations for cause-specific CKD using a national inpatient database in China during the study period of hot season from 2015 to 2018. Standard time-series regression models and random-effects meta-analysis were developed to estimate the city-specific and national averaged associations at a 7 lag-day span, respectively. Results: A total of 768,129 hospitalizations for CKD was recorded during the study period. The results showed that higher temperature was associated with elevated risk of hospitalizations for CKD, especially in sub-tropical cities. With a 1 °C increase in daily mean temperature, the cumulative relative risks ( RR ) over lag 0–7 d were 1.008 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.003–1.012] for nationwide. The attributable fraction of CKD hospitalizations due to high temperatures was 5.50%. Stronger associations were observed among younger patients and those with obstructive nephropathy. Our study also found that exposure to heatwaves was associated with added risk of hospitalizations for CKD compared to non-heatwave days ( RR = 1.116, 95% CI 1.069–1.166) above the effect of daily mean temperature. Conclusions: Short-term heat exposure may increase the risk of hospitalization for CKD. Our findings provide insights into the health effects of climate change and suggest the necessity of guided protection strategies against the adverse effects of high temperatures.

Background: The burden of cardiovascular diseases caused by ambient particulate air pollution is universal. An increasing number of studies have investigated the potential effects of exposure to particulate air pollution on endothelial function, which is one of the important mechanisms for the onset and development of cardiovascular disease. However, no previous study has conducted a summary analysis of the potential effects of particulate air pollution on endothelial function. Objectives: To summarize the evidence for the potential effects of short-term exposure to ambient particulate air pollution on endothelial function based on existing studies. Methods: A systematic literature search on the relationship between ambient particulate air pollution and biomarkers of endothelial function including endothelin-1 (ET-1), E-selectin, intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, EMBASE, and Web of Science up to 20 May 2023. Subsequently, a meta-analysis was conducted using a random effects model. Results: A total of 18 studies were included in this meta-analysis. A 10 μg/m³ increase in short-term exposure to ambient PM_2.5 was associated with a 1.55% (95% CI: 0.89%, 2.22%) increase in ICAM-1 and a 1.97% (95% CI: 0.86%, 3.08%) increase in VCAM-1. The associations of ET-1 (0.22%, 95% CI: −4.94%, 5.65%) and E-selectin (3.21%, 95% CI: −0.90% 7.49%) with short-term exposure to ambient PM_2.5 were statistically insignificant. Conclusion: Short-term exposure to ambient PM_2.5 pollution may significantly increase the levels of typical markers of endothelial function, including ICAM-1 and VCAM-1, suggesting potential endothelial dysfunction following ambient air pollution exposure.