Associations between long-term air pollution exposure and the incidence of cardiovascular diseases among American older adults.

ABSTRACT:

Background & aim

Numerous studies have linked air pollution with cardiovascular diseases. Fewer studies examined the associations at low concentration levels or assessed potential modifiers. Some investigations only examined hospitalizations, which can miss incident cases. This study aims to address these gaps through a nationwide cohort study of Medicare enrollees.

Methods

Our study cohort comprise all Medicare enrollees (≥65 years old) continuously enrolled in the fee-for-service program and both Medicare part A and B across the contiguous U.S. from 2000 to 2016. We examined the associations of population-weighted ZIP code-level annual average PM_2.5, NO₂, and warm-season O₃ (May-October), with the first diagnoses of atrial fibrillation (AF)

SUBMITTER: Jin T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9798657 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature