Information on the effects of long-term exposure to fine particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of 2·5 μm or less (PM2·5) on lung health is scarce. We aimed to investigate the associations between long-term exposure to PM2·5, lung function, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in a large-scale longitudinal cohort. We included 285 046 participants aged 20 years or older from the Taiwan MJ Health Management Institution cohort, who were recruited between 2001 and 2014 and had spirometric tests during the medical examination visit. We used a satellite-based spatiotemporal model to estimate the 2-year average ground concentration of PM2·5 (for the calendar year of each participant's medical examination and for the previous year) at each participant's address. We used the generalised linear mixed model to examine the associations between PM2·5 concentrations and lung function and the Cox proportional hazard regression model with time-dependent covariates to investigate the PM2·5 effects on COPD development. Every 5 μg/m3 increment in PM2·5 was associated with a decrease of 1·18% for forced vital capacity (FVC), 1·46% for forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), 1·65% for maximum mid-expiratory flow (MMEF), and 0·21% for FEV1:FVC ratio. The decrease accelerated over time. Additional annual declines were observed for FVC (0·14%), FEV1 (0·24%), MMEF (0·44%), and FEV1:FVC ratio (0·09%). Compared with the participants exposed to the first quartile of PM2·5, participants exposed to the fourth, third, and second quartiles of PM2·5 had a hazard ratio of 1·23 (95% CI 1·09-1·39), 1·30 (1·16-1·46), and 1·39 (1·24-1·56) for COPD development, respectively. Long-term exposure to ambient PM2·5 is associated with reduced, and faster declines in, lung function. Long-term exposure to ambient PM2·5 is also associated with an increased risk of the incidence of COPD. This study reinforces the urgency of global strategies to mitigate air pollution for improvement of pulmonary health and prevention of COPD. Environmental Health Research Fund of the Chinese University of Hong Kong and PhD Studentship of the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Background: The combined health impact of physical activity (PA) and air pollution on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) remains unclear. We investigated the joint effects of habitual PA and long-term fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) exposure on COPD incidence in a prospective population-based cohort. Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted using data from the UK Biobank. Incidence of COPD was ascertained through linkage to the UK National Health Services register. Annual mean PM_2.5 concentration was obtained using land use regression model. PA was measured by questionnaire and wrist-worn accelerometer. Cox proportional hazard models were applied to examine the associations between PM_2.5, PA, and COPD. Additive and multiplicative interactions were examined. Results: A total of 266,280 participants free of COPD at baseline were included in data analysis with an average follow-up of 10.64 years, contributing to around 2.8 million person-years. Compared with participants with low level of PA, those with higher PA levels had lower risks of COPD incidence [hazard ratio (HR): 0.769, 95% CI: 0.720, 0.820 for moderate level; HR: 0.726, 95% CI: 0.679, 0.776 for high level]. By contrast, PM_2.5 was associated with increased risk of COPD (HR per interquartile range increment: 1.065, 95% CI: 1.032, 1.099). Limited evidence of interaction between habitual PA and PM_2.5 exposure was found. Similar results were found for accelerometer-measured PA. Conclusions: Our study suggests that habitual PA could reduce risk of COPD incidence, and such protective effects were not affected by ambient PM_2.5 pollution exposure.

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a serious global public health challenge, but there is limited information on the connection between air pollution and risk of CKD. Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the association between long-term exposure to particulate matter (PM) with an aerodynamic diameter of less than 2.5μm (PM2.5) and the development of CKD in a large cohort. Methods: A total of 100,629 nonCKD Taiwanese residents age 20 y or above were included in this study between 2001 and 2014. Ambient PM2.5 concentration was estimated at each participant’s address using a satellite-based spatiotemporal model. Incident CKD cases were identified by an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of less than 60mL/min/1.73 m2. We collected information on a wide range of potential confounders/modifiers during the medical examinations. Cox proportional hazard regression was applied to calculate hazard ratios (HRs). Results: During the follow-up, 4,046 incident CKD cases were identified,...

Air pollution has been associated with elevated blood pressure in adults. However, epidemiological evidence from children and adolescents is limited. We investigated the associations between long-term exposure to particulate matter (PM) air pollution and blood pressure in a large population of children and adolescents. A cross-sectional analysis was performed in a nationally representative sample consisting of 43,745 children and adolescents aged 7 to 18 years in seven provinces in China. Exposure to ambient fine particles (PM2.5) and thoracic particles (PM10) was estimated using spatiotemporal models based on satellite remote sensing, meteorological data and land use information. Mixed-effects (two-level) linear and logistic regression models were used to investigate the associations between PM exposure and systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and hypertension. After adjustment for a wide range of covariates, every 10 μg/m3 increment in PM2.5 and PM10 concentration was associated with 1.46 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.05, 2.88] and 1.36 (95% CI: 0.34, 2.39) mmHg increases in SBP, respectively. PM10 was also associated with higher prevalence of hypertension [odds ratio per 10 μg/m3 increment: 1.45 (95% CI: 1.07, 1.95)]. Long-term exposure to ambient PM air pollution was associated with increased blood pressure and higher prevalence of hypertension in children and adolescents. Our findings support air pollution reduction strategies as a prevention measure of childhood hypertension, a well-recognized risk factor of future cardiovascular health.

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