Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Republic of Korea.
The Republic of Korea Army Headquarter, Kyeryong, Republic of Korea.
Environ Int. 2022 Mar;161:107119. doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2022.107119. Epub 2022 Feb 2.
There is insufficient evidence of an association between long-term exposure to air pollution and changes in blood lipid levels, and assessments may be influenced by residual confounding factors, such as socioeconomic status.
To investigate the associations between long-term exposure to air pollution and blood lipid profiles while controlling for the risk of residual confounding factors.
We conducted a study involving conscripted Korean soldiers to assess the associations between air pollution and blood lipid levels. The soldiers, who were randomly distributed among military units throughout the country, led homogenous lives and were subjected to health checkups 8-12 months post-enlistment. We analyzed data pertaining to those who enlisted and underwent health checkups in 2019 (n = 12,778) using linear mixed models. Additionally, we evaluated quantile-specific associations using quantile regression models. We also assessed interactions based on body mass index (BMI) at the time of enlistment (≥25.0 vs. < 25.0 kg/m).
The linear mixed models revealed that a 10-µg/m increase in fine particulate matter ≤ 2.5 μm (PM) decreased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels by -0.66% (95% confidence interval [CI]: -1.21, -0.10), and a 10-ppb increase in nitrogen dioxide (NO) increased total cholesterol (TC) levels by 1.04% (95% CI: 0.24, 1.84). In the quantile regression models, associations were also found at specific deciles. PM exposure contributed to higher TC, NO resulted in higher triglycerides and lower HDL-C, and ozone (O) led to lower HDL-C. The association between O and TC differed according to BMI (p-value for interaction = 0.03); among those with a BMI ≥ 25.0 kg/m, a 10-ppb increase in O increased TC by 1.09% (95% CI: 0.20, 1.09).
These results shed new light on the importance of controlling air pollution, which can contribute to abnormal blood lipid levels, an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
长期暴露于空气污染与血液脂质水平变化之间的关联证据不足，评估可能受到社会经济地位等残余混杂因素的影响。
在控制残余混杂因素风险的情况下，研究长期暴露于空气污染与血脂谱之间的关联。
我们进行了一项涉及韩国应征入伍士兵的研究，以评估空气污染与血液脂质水平之间的关联。这些士兵被随机分配到全国各地的军事单位，过着同质的生活，并在入伍后 8-12 个月进行健康检查。我们使用线性混合模型分析了 2019 年入伍并接受健康检查的士兵（n=12778）的数据。此外，我们使用分位数回归模型评估了分位数特异性关联。我们还根据入伍时的体重指数（BMI）（≥25.0 与<25.0 kg/m²）评估了相互作用。
线性混合模型显示，细颗粒物（PM）≤2.5 μm 每增加 10 µg/m，高密度脂蛋白胆固醇（HDL-C）水平降低 0.66%（95%置信区间：-1.21，-0.10），二氧化氮（NO）每增加 10 ppb，总胆固醇（TC）水平升高 1.04%（95%置信区间：0.24，1.84）。在分位数回归模型中，也在特定十分位数发现了关联。PM 暴露与更高的 TC 有关，NO 导致更高的甘油三酯和更低的 HDL-C，臭氧（O）导致更低的 HDL-C。O 与 TC 之间的关联因 BMI 而异（交互作用 p 值=0.03）；在 BMI≥25.0 kg/m²的人群中，O 每增加 10 ppb，TC 增加 1.09%（95%置信区间：0.20，1.09）。
这些结果为控制空气污染提供了新的视角，空气污染会导致血液脂质水平异常，而异常的血液脂质水平是心血管疾病的一个独立危险因素。
