Association Between Air Pollution and Cardiovascular Disease Hospitalizations in Lanzhou City, 2013-2020: A Time Series Analysis

Abstract

Extensive evidence has shown that air pollution increases the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) admissions. We aimed to explore the short-term effect of air pollution on CVD admissions in Lanzhou residents and their lag effects. Meteorological data, air pollution data, and a total of 309,561 daily hospitalizations for CVD among urban residents in Lanzhou were collected from 2013 to 2020. Distributed lag non-linear model was used to analyze the relationship between air pollutants and CVD admissions, stratified by gender, age, and season. PM_2.5, NO₂, and CO have the strongest harmful effects at lag03, while SO₂ at lag3. The relative risks of CVD admissions were 1.0013(95% CI: 1.0003, 1.0023), 1.0032(95% CI: 1.0008, 1.0056), and 1.0040(95% CI: 1.0024, 1.0057) when PM_2.5, SO₂, and NO₂ concentrations were increased by 10 μg/m³, respectively. Each 1 mg/m³ increase in CO concentration was associated with a relative risk of cardiovascular hospitalization of risk was 1.0909(95% CI: 1.0367, 1.1479). We observed a relative risk of 0.9981(95% CI: 0.9972, 0.9991) for each 10 μg/m³ increase in O₃ for CVD admissions at lag06. We found a significant lag effects of air pollutants on CVD admissions. NO₂ and CO pose a greater risk of hospitalization for women, while PM_2.5 and SO₂ have a greater impact on men. PM_2.5, NO₂, and CO have a greater impact on CVD admissions in individuals aged <65 years, whereas SO₂ affects those aged ≥65 years. Our research indicates a possible short-term impact of air pollution on CVD. Local public health and environmental policies should take these preliminary findings into account.

Keywords: DLNM; air pollution; cardiovascular disease; hospitalization.