Research In Brief: The Price of Pollution
Elevated Pollution Levels Tied to Higher Mortality from Cardiovascular & Cancer Diseases
In 2020, the American Heart Association formally recognized ambient air pollution as a modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and stated that health professionals have a responsibility to advocate for policies that reduce harmful exposure to air pollution.
A new study led by investigators at Lahey Hospital & Medical Center (LHMC) and including researchers from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) examined the links between long-term exposure to air pollution and deaths from CVD, cancer and co-occurring—or comorbid—CVD and cancer in a nationally representative sample of the U.S. population. The team analyzed U.S. county-level mortality and population estimates from 2016 to 2020 and 2018 data showing the average daily density of the fine particulate matter 2.5 micrometers (µm) or less in the air, known as PM 2.5.
The investigators demonstrated that U.S. counties with higher, long-term exposure to PM 2.5 air pollution experienced increased mortality rates from cardiovascular disease, cancer and comorbid CVD and cancer compared to counties with less PM 2.5 air pollution. Moreover, the analysis showed a pronounced detrimental effect across vulnerable and minority populations. Perhaps counterintuitively, less urban areas were associated with a higher relative increase in mortality across all three conditions compared to larger metropolitan regions for unknown reasons. The authors speculated that the scarcer health care resources and fewer resources for mitigating the ill effects of air pollution in less urban areas may be possible explanations.
Read the full paper in JACC: Advances
BIDMC Study Authors: Sarju Ganatra, Sumanth Khadke, Javaria Ahmad and Sourbha S. Dani of Lahey Hospital & Medical Center; Druv Kazi of the Richard A. and Susan F. Smith Center for Outcomes Research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center; and Aarti Asnani of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.
COI: The authors reported that they have no relationships relevant to this paper's contents to disclose.
Citation: Kumar et al. Particulate matter 2.5. Pollution impact on comorbid cancer and cardiovascular disease mortality in the US. JACC: ADVANCES. 2024 Vol. 3 No. 8.doi.org/10.1016/j.jacadv.2024.101106
About Lahey Hospital & Medical Center
Lahey Hospital & Medical Center (LHMC) is a world-renowned tertiary academic medical center known for its innovative technology, pioneering medical treatments and leading-edge research. As a physician-led hospital, LHMC offers a legacy of care and education committed to putting the patient at the center through a multidisciplinary, collaborative and team-based approach. LHMC’s research efforts and clinical trials cross numerous medical disciplines, providing patients with access to the latest options in treatment and care.
LHMC is a part of Beth Israel Lahey Health, a health care system that brings together academic medical centers and teaching hospitals, community and specialty hospitals, more than 4,700 physicians and 39,000 employees in a shared mission to expand access to great care and advance the science and practice of medicine through groundbreaking research and education.
