London: Exposure to traffic-related air pollution increases the risk of several long-term physical and mental health conditions, according to a study. The researchers said this is the largest study worldwide – carried out on more than 364,000 (more than 3.6 million) people in England – to examine whether air pollution exposure is linked to the occurrence of a number of long-term health conditions.
The study, published in the journal Frontiers in Public Health, showed that high levels of traffic-related air pollution – fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) – were associated with an increased risk of living at least two longer Were. -Term health status. The strongest associations were observed for co-occurring neurological, respiratory, cardiovascular and common mental health conditions, such as depression and anxiety, the researchers said.
“People with more than one long-term health condition have a lower quality of life and greater dependence on the health care system,” said Amy Ronaldson, Research Associate at King’s College London and first author of the study. “Our research indicated that people who live in areas of high traffic-related air pollution are at a higher risk of developing a number of health conditions,” Ronaldson said.
Although the study does not prove that air pollution causes multimorbidity, it warrants further research in this area, the researchers said. They analyzed data from UK Biobank – a large-scale biomedical database and research resource containing anonymised genetic, lifestyle and health information from half a million UK participants aged 40 to 69.
Participants were assessed for 36 physical and five mental health chronic conditions. Multimorbidity was defined as having two or more of these conditions. Physical and mental health data from the UK Biobank in 2010 were linked to the estimated concentration of air pollution at participants’ residential addresses.
The study found that those participants were exposed to fine particulate matter greater than 10 micrograms per cubic meter (g/m3).
For participants exposed to more than 30 g/m3 of NO2, the study found a 20 percent increased risk of having two or more co-occurring conditions compared to participants exposed to NO2 below 20 g/m3. were exposed to concentrations.
The researchers said that among people with multiple conditions, increased exposure to both PM2.5 and NO2 was associated with greater severity of co-occurring conditions. “How air pollution affects multiple organs and systems at the same time is not yet fully understood, but there is some evidence that airborne particles can trigger mechanisms such as inflammation, oxidative stress and immune activation.” that can damage the brain.” , heart, blood, lungs and gut,” said Ioannis Bakoulis from King’s College London.
Bakolis, senior author of the study, said, “Our study suggests that it may be through shared mechanisms that air pollution has negative effects on multiple body systems and may increase the likelihood of people developing a number of long-term health conditions.” increases.”
The researchers identified several patterns in the associations. The strongest links were primarily between conditions related to the respiratory system, such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, as well as those of the cardiovascular system, such as atrial fibrillation, coronary heart disease, and heart failure. The researchers said the link was also seen with neurological and common mental conditions such as stroke, substance abuse, depression and anxiety.