Short-term exposure to particulate air pollution and risk of myocardial infarction: a systematic review and meta-analysis

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international 2015-10, Vol.22 (19), p.14651-14662
• Main Authors: Luo, Chunmiao, Zhu, Xiaoxia, Yao, Cijiang, Hou, Lijuan, Zhang, Jian, Cao, Jiyu, Wang, Ailing
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Air Pollution; Airborne particulates; Aquatic Pollution; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Cardiology; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Exposure; Environmental Health; Environmental science; Exposure; Health care; Heart attacks; Humans; Humidity; Meta-analysis; Missing data; Myocardial infarction; Myocardial Infarction - etiology; Observational studies; Outdoor air quality; Particulate matter; Particulate Matter - toxicity; Pollutants; Preventive medicine; Public health; Research methodology; Review Article; Risk Factors; Studies; Systematic review; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control
• ISSN: 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-015-5188-x

A growing number of studies have associated short-term exposure to ambient particulate matter air pollution (PM) and risk of specific cardiovascular events, just as myocardial infarction (MI). However, the results of the recent studies were inconsistent; therefore, a systematic review and meta-analysis was performed. To synthetically quantify the association between short-term exposure to PM and risk of MI, a meta-analysis was conducted to combine the estimates of effect for a relationship between short-term exposure to PM 10 , PM 2.5 (particulate matter ≤ 10 μm, 2.5 μm in diameter) and risk of MI. Electronic database searches for all relevant published studies were updated in January 2015. And, a random-effects model was performed to estimate pooled relative risk (RR) and 95 % confidence intervals (95 % CI). Thirty-one published observational epidemiological studies were identified. Risk of MI was significantly associated with per 10 μg/m 3 increment in PM 10 (OR = 1.005; 95 % CI 1.001–1.008) and PM 2.5 (OR = 1.022; 95 % CI 1.015–1.030). The risk of PM 2.5 exposure was relatively greater than PM 10 . In the subgroup analysis by study design, location, quality score, and lag exposure, the results were basically consistent with the former overall results in PM 2.5 but slightly changed in PM 10 . Short-term exposure to particulate matter (PM 2.5 , PM 10 ) was a risk factor for MI, and the results further confirmed the discovery in the previous meta-analysis.