Long-term exposure to airborne particulate matter and NO2 and prevalent and incident metabolic syndrome - Results from the Heinz Nixdorf Recall Study

Clara Matthiessen; Sarah Lucht; Frauke Hennig; Simone Ohlwein; Hermann Jakobs; Karl-Heinz Jöckel; Susanne Moebus; Barbara Hoffmann; Heinz Nixdorf Recall Study Investigative Group

doi:10.1016/j.envint.2018.02.035

Long-term exposure to airborne particulate matter and NO₂ and prevalent and incident metabolic syndrome - Results from the Heinz Nixdorf Recall Study

Environ Int. 2018 Jul:116:74-82. doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2018.02.035. Epub 2018 Apr 10.

Authors

Clara Matthiessen¹, Sarah Lucht², Frauke Hennig², Simone Ohlwein², Hermann Jakobs³, Karl-Heinz Jöckel⁴, Susanne Moebus⁴, Barbara Hoffmann²; Heinz Nixdorf Recall Study Investigative Group

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany. Electronic address: clara.matthiessen@med.uni-duesseldorf.de.
² Institute of Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
³ Rhenish Institute for Environmental Research, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
⁴ Institute of Medical Informatics, Biometry and Epidemiology (IMIBE), University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.

PMID: 29653402
DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2018.02.035

Abstract

Introduction: Recently, epidemiological studies have found a link between air pollution (AP) and individual components of the metabolic syndrome (MetS), a condition predisposing to cardiometabolic diseases. However, very few studies have explored a possible association between air pollution and MetS.

Objective: We analyzed the effects of long-term exposure to airborne particulate matter and NO₂ on prevalence and incidence of MetS.

Methods: We used data of the population-based prospective Heinz Nixdorf Recall study (baseline 2000-2003) to investigate the association(s) between AP exposure and MetS prevalence at baseline (n = 4457) and MetS incidence at first follow-up visit (n = 3074; average follow-up: 5.1 years). Mean annual exposure to size-fractioned particulate matter (PM₁₀, PM_2.5, PM_coarse, and PM_2.5abs) and nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) was assessed using a land use regression model. MetS was defined as central obesity plus two out of four additional risk factors (i.e., elevated triglycerides, reduced high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, elevated blood pressure or elevated plasma glucose). We estimated odds ratios (ORs) of MetS prevalence and incidence per interquartile range (IQR) of exposure, adjusting for demographic and lifestyle variables.

Results: We observed a MetS prevalence of 20.7% (n = 922) and an incidence of 9.7% (n = 299). NO₂ was positively associated with MetS prevalence, with an OR increase per IQR of 1.12 (95%-CI 1.02-1.24, IQR = 6.1 μg/m³). PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 were both borderline positively associated with MetS incidence, with ORs of 1.14 (95%-CI 0.99-1.32, IQR = 2.1 μg/m³) and 1.19 (95%-CI 0.98-1.44, IQR = 1.5 μg/m³) per IQR, respectively.

Conclusion: In summary, we found a weak positive association between air pollution and MetS. The strongest and most consistent effects were observed between NO₂ and prevalent MetS.

Keywords: Air pollution; Epidemiology; Metabolic syndrome; NO(2); Noise; Particulate matter.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Air Pollutants / analysis*
Humans
Incidence
Inhalation Exposure* / analysis
Inhalation Exposure* / statistics & numerical data
Metabolic Syndrome / epidemiology*
Nitrogen Dioxide / analysis*
Particulate Matter / analysis*
Prevalence
Risk Factors

Substances

Air Pollutants
Particulate Matter
Nitrogen Dioxide