Indoor air quality and the risk of hypertension

The relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and hypertension has been studied in a number of reviews. However, the impact of SES on hypertension has been reported in several studies with conflicting results.

Background: Experimental evidence and studies of children and adolescents suggest that ambient fine particulate matter [particulate matter ≤ 2.5 μ m in aerodynamic diameter ( PM 2.5 )] air pollution may be obesogenic, but the relationship between PM 2.5 and the risk of body weight gain and obesity in adults is uncertain. Objectives: Our goal was to characterize the association between PM 2.5 and the risks of weight gain and obesity. Methods: We followed 3,902,440 U.S. Veterans from 2010 to 2018 (median 8.1 y, interquartile range: 7.3–8.4) and assigned time-updated PM 2.5 exposures by linking geocoded residential street addresses with satellite-based estimates of surface-level PM 2.5 mass (at ∼ 1 -km 2 resolution). Associations with PM 2.5 were estimated using Cox proportional hazards models for incident obesity [body mass index ( BMI ) ≥ 30   kg / m 2 ] and a 10 -lb increase in weight relative to baseline and linear mixed models for associations with intra-individual changes in BMI and weight. Results: A 10 - μ g / m 3 higher average annual PM 2.5 concentration was associated with risk of incident obesity [ n = 2,325,769 ; hazard ratio  ( HR ) = 1.08 (95% CI: 1.06, 1.11)] and the risk of a 10 -lb ( 4.54   kg ) increase in weight [ HR = 1.07 (95% CI: 1.06, 1.08)] and with higher intra-individual changes in BMI [ 0.140   kg / m 2  per year (95% CI: 0.139, 0.142)] and weight [ 0.968  lb / y (95% CI: 0.955, 0.981)]. Nonlinear exposure–response models indicated associations at PM 2.5 concentrations below the national standard of 12   μ g / m 3 . As expected, a negative exposure control (ambient air sodium) was not associated with obesity or weight gain. Associations were consistent in direction and magnitude across sensitivity analyses that included alternative outcomes and exposures assigned at different spatial resolutions. Discussion: PM 2.5 air pollution was associated with the risk of obesity and weight gain in a large predominantly male cohort of U.S. Veterans. Discussions about health effects of PM 2.5 should include its association with obesity, and deliberations about the epidemiology of obesity should consider its association with PM 2.5 . Investigation in other cohorts will deepen our understanding of the relationship between PM 2.5 and weight gain and obesity. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP7944

Increasing evidence suggest that active smoking is a risk factor for hypertension, but little is known about the effects of passive smoking on this condition. In China, female passive smoking is widespread and severe due to the high proportion of men who smoke, particularly in rural areas. This study assessed whether passive smoking is associated with increased risk of hypertension among nonsmoking women in rural China.