Long-Term Exposure to Air Pollution Tied to More Hospital Admissions
By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter
THURSDAY, Dec. 19, 2024 -- There is an association between long-term exposure to ambient air pollution and increased all-cause and cause-specific hospital admissions for both physical and behavioral illnesses, according to a study published online Dec. 18 in BMJ Open.
Mary Abed Al Ahad, Ph.D., from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, and colleagues investigated the association between long-term exposure to ambient air pollution and all-cause and cause-specific hospital admissions. The analysis included data from 202,237 individuals participating in the Scottish Longitudinal Study with data linked to yearly concentrations of four pollutants (nitrogen dioxide [NO2], sulfur dioxide [SO2], particulate matter diameter ≤10 μm [PM10] and ≤2.5 μm [PM2.5]) at 1 km2 spatial resolution using the individual’s residential postcode for each year between 2002 and 2017.
The researchers found that higher exposure to NO2, PM10, and PM2.5 was associated with a higher incidence of all-cause, cardiovascular, respiratory, and infectious hospital admissions both before adjusting for the area of residence and in fully adjusted models when considering cumulative exposure across time. Specifically, in fully adjusted models, the incidence rate for respiratory hospital admissions increased by 4.2 and 1.2 percent per 1 μg/m3 increase in PM2.5 and NO2 pollutants, respectively. There were associations of SO2 with respiratory hospital admissions (incidence rate ratio, 1.016) and NO2 with a higher incidence of hospital admissions for mental and behavioral disorders (incidence rate ratio, 1.021). Positive associations were seen for average cumulative exposure to air pollution and higher rates of hospital admissions.
"Policies and interventions on air pollution through stricter environmental regulations, long-term planning and the shifting towards renewable energy could eventually help ease the hospital care burden in Scotland in the long term," the authors write.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted December 2024
Read this next
Sedentary Behavior in U.S. Adults Declined in Last Decade
WEDNESDAY, May 28, 2025 -- Sedentary behavior among U.S. adults fell between 2013 and 2020 but plateaued after that, according to a research letter published online May 21 in...
Multiple Environmental Exposures Jointly Contribute to Asthma Risk
WEDNESDAY, May 28, 2025 -- Air pollution, built environment, and ambient temperature jointly contribute to incident asthma risk, according to a study published online May 15 in...
Mortality, Sudden Cardiac Death Higher for Male Professional Bodybuilders
THURSDAY, May 22, 2025 -- The risks for death and sudden cardiac death (SCD) are higher for male bodybuilders than amateurs, according to a study published online May 20 in the...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.