Habitual exercise, chronic exposure to fine particulate matter and high-sensitivity C reactive protein in Asian adults

Yi Qian Zeng; Shin Heng Teresa Chan; Cui Guo; Ly-Yun Chang; Yacong Bo; Changqing Lin; Zengli Yu; Alexis K H Lau; Tony Tam; Xiang Qian Lao

doi:10.1136/oemed-2022-108328

Habitual exercise, chronic exposure to fine particulate matter and high-sensitivity C reactive protein in Asian adults

Occup Environ Med. 2022 Aug;79(8):557-565. doi: 10.1136/oemed-2022-108328. Epub 2022 Jun 23.

Authors

Yi Qian Zeng¹, Shin Heng Teresa Chan¹, Cui Guo¹, Ly-Yun Chang², Yacong Bo¹, Changqing Lin³, Zengli Yu⁴, Alexis K H Lau^{3

5}, Tony Tam⁶, Xiang Qian Lao^{7

8}

Affiliations

¹ Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
² Institute of Sociology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan.
³ Division of Environment and Sustainability, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong SAR, China.
⁴ Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China.
⁵ Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong SAR, China.
⁶ Department of Sociology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
⁷ Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China xqlao@cuhk.edu.hk.
⁸ Shenzhen Research Institute of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.

PMID: 35738890
DOI: 10.1136/oemed-2022-108328

Abstract

Objectives: Exercise may increase the inhaled amount of air pollutants and exacerbate the adverse health effects. We investigated the combined effects of chronic exposure to fine particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 µm (PM_2.5) and habitual exercise on C reactive protein (CRP), a sensitive marker of inflammation.

Methods: We selected 40 209 Taiwanese adults who joined a standard medical screening programme between 2001 and 2016. The PM_2.5 exposure was estimated at each participant's address using a satellite-based spatiotemporal model. Information on habitual exercise was collected using a standard self-administered questionnaire. Mixed-effects linear regression models were used to investigate the associations of CRP with PM_2.5 and exercise. An interaction term of PM_2.5 and exercise was introduced in the models to test the modifying effects.

Results: A greater amount of habitual exercise was associated with a decreased level of CRP, while a higher concentration of PM_2.5 exposure was associated with an increased level of CRP. The inverse associations of habitual exercise with CRP were not modified by chronic exposure to PM_2.5. The participants in the group with a low level of exercise and a high level of PM_2.5 exposure exhibited a 19.1% higher level of CRP than those in the group with a high level of exercise and a low level of PM_2.5 exposure (95% CI: 13.7% to 24.8%; p<0.001). The longitudinal and sensitivity analyses yielded similar results.

Conclusions: Increased levels of exercise and reduced exposure levels of PM_2.5 are associated with a lower CRP level. Habitual exercise reduces CRP level regardless of the levels of chronic PM_2.5 exposure. Our results support that habitual exercise is a safe approach for reducing systemic inflammation to improve cardiovascular health even for people residing in relatively polluted areas.

Keywords: exercise; longitudinal studies; particulate matter.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adult
Air Pollutants* / adverse effects
Air Pollutants* / analysis
Air Pollution* / adverse effects
Air Pollution* / analysis
C-Reactive Protein / metabolism
Environmental Exposure / adverse effects
Environmental Exposure / analysis
Humans
Inflammation / chemically induced
Particulate Matter / adverse effects
Particulate Matter / analysis

Substances

Air Pollutants
Particulate Matter
C-Reactive Protein