Air Pollution with particulate matter about 2.5 micron increases lung damage: JAMA

The key findings of this study were:

1. The median follow-up across the three groups was 2.9 years, with 28% of patients dying and 10% undergoing lung transplantation.

2. The cohort included 3653 men, 205 Black people, and 5609 White people.

3. The median age at enrolment was 66 years across all cohorts.

4. A hazard ratio for death of 4.40 was found in the Simmons cohort, 1.71 in the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation cohort, and 1.45 in the Canadian Registry for Pulmonary Fibrosis cohort.

5. Higher exposure to sulfate, nitrate, and ammonium PM2.5 components was related with higher mortality across all cohorts, and multi-constituent models revealed that these constituents were associated with the most unfavorable mortality outcomes.

6. Meta-analyses indicated consistent relationships between sulfate and ammonium exposure and mortality, as well as the rate of decline in forced vital capacity and carbon monoxide diffusion capacity, and a link between rising levels of PM2.5 multi-constituent mixture and all outcomes.

Reference:

Goobie, G. C., Carlsten, C., Johannson, K. A., Khalil, N., Marcoux, V., Assayag, D., Manganas, H., Fisher, J. H., Kolb, M. R. J., Lindell, K. O., Ryerson, C. J., & Nouraie, S. M. (2022). Association of Particulate Matter Exposure With Lung Function and Mortality Among Patients With Fibrotic Interstitial Lung Disease. In JAMA Internal Medicine. American Medical Association (AMA).https://doi.org/10.1001/jamainternmed.2022.4696