Association of residential greenness with incident pneumonia: A prospective cohort study.

Residential greenness is considered beneficial to human health, and its association with respiratory function has been found in previous studies. However, its link with pneumonia remains unclear. To explore the association of residential greenness with incident pneumonia, we conducted a prospective cohort study based on participants of the UK Biobank, followed from 2006 to 2010 to the end of 2019. Residential greenness was measured by Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) within 500 m and 1000 m buffer. Cox proportional hazard models were conducted to assess the association, and restricted cubic spline models were also constructed to estimate their exposure-response relationship. Results demonstrate that residential greenness was negatively related to the risk of incident pneumonia. An interquartile (IQR) increase in NDVI 500-m buffer was associated with 4 % [HR (95 % CI) =0.96 (0.94, 0.97), P < 0.001] lower risk of incident pneumonia. Compared to the lowest greenness quartile (Q1), the highest quartile (Q4) had a lower risk of incident pneumonia, with the HR (95 % CI) estimated to be 0.91 (0.87, 0.95) (P values <0.001). Analyses based on NDVI 1000-m buffer obtained similar results. Furthermore, a significant effect of modifications by age and income on the linkage between residential greenness and incident pneumonia was found. These findings propose a potential effective prevention of incident pneumonia and provide the scientific basis for promoting the construction of residential greenness.

Early-life exposure to tobacco, genetic susceptibility, and accelerated biological aging in adulthood.

Early-life tobacco exposure serves as a non-negligible risk factor for aging-related diseases. To understand the underlying mechanisms, we explored the associations of early-life tobacco exposure with accelerated biological aging and further assessed the joint effects of tobacco exposure and genetic susceptibility. Compared with those without in utero exposure, participants with in utero tobacco exposure had an increase in Klemera-Doubal biological age (KDM-BA) and PhenoAge acceleration of 0.26 and 0.49 years, respectively, but a decrease in telomere length of 5.34% among 276,259 participants. We also found significant dose-response associations between the age of smoking initiation and accelerated biological aging. Furthermore, the joint effects revealed that high-polygenic risk score participants with in utero exposure and smoking initiation in childhood had the highest accelerated biological aging. There were interactions between early-life tobacco exposure and age, sex, deprivation, and diet on KDM-BA and PhenoAge acceleration. These findings highlight the importance of reducing early-life tobacco exposure to improve healthy aging.

Associations of residential greenness with bone mineral density and osteoporosis: the modifying effect of genetic susceptibility.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the associations of residential greenness with bone mineral density and incident osteoporosis, and further evaluate the potential modifying effect of genetic susceptibility. METHODS: We used the Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) at various buffer distances, including 300 m (NDVI300m), 500 m (NDVI500m), 1000 m (NDVI1000m) and 1500 m (NDVI1500m), to serve as indicators of greenness. We fitted linear regression, logistic regression and Cox proportional hazard models to assess the associations of residential greenness with estimated bone mineral density (eBMD), prevalent osteoporosis and incident osteoporosis, respectively. With the Polygenic Risk Score (PRS) for osteoporosis, we further assessed the joint effects of genetic risk and greenness on the risk of osteoporosis. We conducted causal mediation analyses to explore potential mediators. RESULTS: Each IQR increase in NDVI300m was associated with 0.0007 (95% CI 0.0002 to 0.0013) increase in eBMD, 6% lower risk of prevalent osteoporosis (OR 0.94; 95% CI 0.92 to 0.97) and 5% lower risk of incident osteoporosis (HR 0.95; 95% CI 0.93 to 0.98). The joint effects of greenness and PRS on the risk of osteoporosis displayed a clear dose-response pattern. Compared with individuals exposed to low NDVI levels and high genetic risk, those exposed to high NDVI levels and low genetic risk had a 56% (95% CI 51% to 61%) lower risk of osteoporosis. The primary mediators in the association between greenness and incident osteoporosis were identified as PM2.5 and NO2. CONCLUSIONS: Residential greenness was associated with higher bone mineral density and decreased risk of incident osteoporosis.

Air pollutants, genetic susceptibility, and abdominal aortic aneurysm risk: a prospective study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Air pollutants are important contributors to cardiovascular diseases, but associations between long-term exposure to air pollutants and the risk of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) are still unknown. METHODS: This study was conducted using a sample of 449 463 participants from the UK Biobank. Hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals for the risk of AAA incidence associated with long-term exposure to air pollutants were estimated using the Cox proportional hazards model with time-varying exposure measurements. Additionally, the cumulative incidence of AAA was calculated by using the Fine and Grey sub-distribution hazards regression model. Furthermore, this study investigated the combined effects and interactions between air pollutants exposure and genetic predisposition in relation to the risk of AAA onset. RESULTS: Long-term exposure to particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter <2.5 µm [PM2.5, 1.21 (1.16, 1.27)], particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter <10 µm [PM10, 1.21 (1.16, 1.27)], nitrogen dioxide [NO2, 1.16 (1.11, 1.22)], and nitrogen oxides [NOx, 1.10 (1.05, 1.15)] was found to be associated with an elevated risk of AAA onset. The detrimental effects of air pollutants persisted even in participants with low-level exposure. For the joint associations, participants with both high levels of air pollutants exposure and high genetic risk had a higher risk of developing AAA compared with those with low concentrations of pollutants exposure and low genetic risk. The respective risk estimates for AAA incidence were 3.18 (2.46, 4.12) for PM2.5, 3.09 (2.39, 4.00) for PM10, 2.41 (1.86, 3.13) for NO2, and 2.01 (1.55, 2.61) for NOx. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, long-term air pollutants exposure was associated with an increased risk of AAA incidence.

Long-term exposure to reduced specific-size ambient particulate matter and progression of arterial stiffness among Chinese adults.

To assess the associations of ambient specific-size PM with brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) and the progression of arterial stiffness. Participants were included from the Kailuan study, the cross-sectional study involved 36,486 participants, while the longitudinal study enrolled 16,871 participants. PM exposures was assessed through satellite-based random forest approaches at a 1 km resolution. Initial observations indicated a link between baseline baPWV and heightened levels of PM1, PM2.5, and PM10 exposure, and greater effects were observed for PM1 (ß: 22.52, 95% CI: 18.14-26.89), followed by PM2.5 (ß: 9.76, 95% CI: 7.52-12.00), and PM10 (ß: 8.88, 95% CI: 7.32-10.45). Furthermore, the growth rate of baPWV was higher in participants exposed to high levels of PM1 exposure (ß: 2.77, 95% CI: 1.19-4.35), succeeded by PM2.5 and PM10. Throughout a median follow-up period of 4.04 years, arterial stiffness was diagnosed in 1709 subjects. Long-term exposure to PM was linked with an increased risk of incident arterial stiffness, estimated HR for fixed 10 µg/m3 increments in annual average PM1 was 2.20 (95% CI: 2.01-2.42), PM2.5 was 1.48 (95% CI: 1.41-1.55), and PM10 1.32 (95% CI: 1.27-1.36). PM had a greater impact on men and older individuals (P for interaction <0.001). Long-term exposures to ambient PM1, PM2.5, and PM10 were positively associated with baPWV and an increased risk of arterial stiffness. Higher estimated effects were observed for PM1 than PM2.5 and PM10.

Long-Term Exposure to Low Concentrations of Ambient Benzene and Mortality in a National English Cohort.

Background: Benzene affects human health through environmental exposure in addition to occupational contact. However, few studies have examined the associations between long-term exposure to low concentrations of ambient benzene and mortality risks in nonoccupational settings.Methods: This prospective cohort study consists of 393,042 participants without stroke, myocardial infarction, or cancer at baseline from the UK Biobank. Annual average concentrations of benzene for each year during follow-up were measured using air dispersion models. The main outcomes were all-cause mortality and mortality from specific causes. Cox proportional-hazards models with time-varying exposure measurements were used to estimate the hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for mortality risks. Restricted cubic spline models were used to estimate exposure-response relationships.Measurements and Main Results: With each interquartile range increase in the average annual concentration of benzene, the adjusted hazard ratios of mortality risk from all causes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and respiratory disease were 1.26 (95% CI, 1.24-1.27), 1.24 (95% CI, 1.21-1.28), 1.27 (95% CI, 1.25-1.29), and 1.25 (95% CI, 1.20-1.30), respectively. The monotonically increasing exposure-response curves showed no threshold and plateau within the observed concentration range. Furthermore, the effect of benzene exposure on mortality persisted across different subgroups and was somewhat stronger in younger and White people (P for interaction < 0.05).Conclusions: Long-term exposure to low concentrations of ambient benzene significantly increases mortality risk in the general population. Ambient benzene represents a potential threat to public health, and further investigations are needed to support timely pollution regulation and health protection.

Genetic Susceptibility Modifies Relationships Between Air Pollutants and Stroke Risk: A Large Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: The extent to which genetic susceptibility modifies the associations between air pollutants and the risk of incident stroke is still unclear. This study was designed to investigate the separate and joint associations of long-term exposure to air pollutants and genetic susceptibility on stroke risk. METHODS: The participants of this study were recruited by the UK Biobank between 2006 and 2010. These participants were followed up from the enrollment until the occurrence of stroke events or censoring of data. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs for stroke events associated with long-term exposure to air pollutants were estimated by fitting both crude and adjusted Cox proportional hazards models. Additionally, the polygenic risk score was calculated to estimate whether the polygenic risk score modifies the associations between exposure to air pollutants and incident stroke. RESULTS: A total of 502 480 subjects were included in this study. After exclusion, 452 196 participants were taken into the final analysis. During a median follow-up time of 11.7 years, 11 334 stroke events were observed, with a mean age of 61.60 years, and men accounted for 56.2% of the total cases. Long-term exposures to particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter smaller than 2.5 µm (adjusted HR, 1.70 [95% CI, 1.43-2.03]) or particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter smaller than 10 µm (adjusted HR, 1.50 [95% CI, 1.36-1.66]), nitrogen dioxide (adjusted HR, 1.10 [95% CI, 1.07-1.12]), and nitrogen oxide (adjusted HR, 1.04 [95% CI, 1.02-1.05]) were pronouncedly associated with increased risk of stroke. Meanwhile, participants with high genetic risk and exposure to high air pollutants had ≈45% (31%, 61%; particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter smaller than 2.5 µm), 48% (33%, 65%; particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter smaller than 10 µm), 51% (35%, 69%; nitrogen dioxide), and 39% (25%, 55%; nitrogen oxide) higher risk of stroke compared with those with low genetic risk and exposure to low air pollutants, respectively. Of note, we observed additive and multiplicative interactions between genetic susceptibility and air pollutants on stroke events. CONCLUSIONS: Chronic exposure to air pollutants was associated with an increased risk of stroke, especially in populations at high genetic risk.

Residential greenness and incident idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: A prospective study.

BACKGROUND: The impact of residential greenness on incident idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is unknown. We aimed to assess the association between residential greenness and incident IPF, identify underlying pathways, and further evaluate the effect among different genetic subgroups. METHODS: 469,348 participants in the UK Biobank were included and followed until December 2020. Normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) within 300-, 500-, 1000-, and 1500-m buffers (NDVI300m, NDVI500m, NDVI1000m, and NDVI1500m) were employed as indicators of greenness. The polygenic risk score (PRS) was constructed based on 13 independent SNPs. Cox models were fitted to assess the association of residential greenness with incident IPF. Casual mediation analyses were applied to evaluate potential mediators. FINDINGS: After a median follow-up of 11.85 years, 1574 IPF cases were identified. We found residential greenness inversely associated with incident IPF. The HRs (95%CIs) for each interquartile increase of NDVI300m, NDVI500m, NDVI1000m, NDVI1500m were 0.93 (0.87, 0.99), 0.92 (0.86, 0.98), 0.89 (0.83, 0.95), and 0.89 (0.83, 0.95), respectively. The association was stronger among individuals with intermediate or high genetic risk. In mediation analyses, the main mediators identified were PM2.5 and NO2, with proportion mediated estimated to be 31.92% and 40.61% respectively for NDVI300m. INTERPRETATION: Residential greenness was associated with reduced risk of incident IPF.

The association between telomere length and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: a prospective study.

BACKGROUND: Research on the association between telomere length (TL) and incident non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is limited. This study examined this association and further assessed how TL contributes to the association of NAFLD with its known risk factors. METHODS: Quantitative PCR (polymerase chain reaction) was employed to assess leucocyte telomere length. Polygenic risk score (PRS) for NAFLD, air pollution score, and lifestyle index were constructed. Cox proportional hazard models were conducted to estimate the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals. RESULTS: Among 467,848 participants in UK Biobank, we identified 4809 NAFLD cases over a median follow-up of 12.83 years. We found that long TL was associated with decreased risk of incident NAFLD, as each interquartile range increase in TL resulted in an HR of 0.93 (95% CI 0.89, 0.96). TL partly mediated the association between age and NAFLD (proportion mediated: 15.52%). When assessing the joint effects of TL and other risk factors, the highest risk of NAFLD was found in participants with low TL and old age, low TL and high air pollution score, low TL and unfavorable lifestyle, and low TL and high PRS, compared to each reference group. A positive addictive interaction was observed between high PRS and low TL, accounting for 14.57% (2.51%, 27.14%) of the risk of NAFLD in participants with low telomere length and high genetic susceptibility. CONCLUSIONS: Long telomere length was associated with decreased risk of NAFLD incidence. Telomere length played an important role in NAFLD.

Long-term exposure to ambient air pollution, genetic susceptibility, and the incidence of bipolar disorder: A prospective cohort study.

There is mounting recent evidence showing that air pollution exposure may be related to the risk of mental health, yet the association between long-term exposure to air pollution and the risk of incident bipolar disorder (BD) remains unclear. Thus we aim to identify associations between air pollution and the incidence of BD in a prospective population-based cohort. In total, 482,726 participants who were free of BD from the UK Biobank were included in this prospective study. We applied time-varying Cox proportional hazards models, accounting for relevant confounders, and used annual-year moving averages of air pollution as time-varying exposures. The genetic risk for BD was categorized into three categories (low, intermediate, and high) according to the tertiles of polygenic risk score. During a median of 10.79-year follow-up, 923 incident BD events were recorded. Long-term exposures to PM2.5, PM10, NO2, and NOx were associated with increased BD risk. Estimated HRs (95% CIs) for each interquartile range increase in PM2.5, PM10, NO2, and NOx concentrations were 1.31 (1.18-1.45), 1.19 (1.09-1.31), 1.19 (1.08-1.30), and 1.16 (1.07-1.26), respectively. Associations were still observed and even stronger at pollutant concentrations lower than WHO air quality guideline. In subgroup analysis stratified by genetic risk, we observed consistent associations between all pollutants and BD risk in intermediate and high genetic risk groups, but not in low genetic risk group. For example, the HRs (95% CIs) for PM2.5 were 1.00 (0.94-1.53), 1.30 (1.06-1.59), and 1.34 (1.16-1.54) in low, intermediate, and high genetic groups, respectively. In conclusion, long-term exposure to air pollution was significantly associated with an elevated risk of BD. Associations of air pollution with BD occurred only within intermediate and high genetic risk categories and were even stronger at the pollutants levels below WHO air quality guidelines. These findings could help inform policy makers regarding ambient air quality standards and BD management.

Ambient air pollution, genetic risk and telomere length in UK biobank.

BACKGROUND: Telomere length (TL) is a biomarker of genomic aging. The evidence on the association between TL and air pollution was inconsistent. Besides, the modification effect of genetic susceptibility on the air pollution-TL association remains unknown. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to evaluate the association of ambient air pollution with TL and further assess the modification effect of genetic susceptibility. METHODS: 433,535 participants with complete data of TL and air pollutants in UK Biobank were included. Annual average exposure of NO2, NOx, PM10 and PM2.5 was estimated by applying land use regression models. Genetic risk score (GRS) was constructed using reported telomere-related SNPs. Leukocyte TL was measured by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Multivariable linear regression models were employed to conduct associational analyses. RESULTS: Categorical exposure models and RCS models both indicated U-shaped (for NO2 and NOx) and L-shaped (for PM10 and PM2.5) correlations between air pollution and TL. In comparison to the lowest quartile, the 2nd and 3rd quartile of NO2 (q2: -1.3% [-2.1%, -0.4%]; q3: -1.2% [-2.0%, -0.3%], NOx (q2: -1.3% [-2.1%, -0.5%]; q3: -1.4% [-2.2%, -0.5%]), PM2.5 (q2: -0.8% [-1.7%, 0.0%]; q3: -1.3% [-2.2%, -0.5%]), and the third quartile of PM10 (q3: -1.1% [-1.9%, -0.2%]) were inversely associated with TL. The highest quartile of NO2 was positively correlated with TL (q4: 1.0% [0.0%, 2.0%]), whereas the negative correlation between the highest quartile of other pollutants and TL was also attenuated and no longer significant. In the genetic analyses, synergistic interactions were observed between the 4th quartile of three air pollutants (NO2, NOx, and PM2.5) and genetic risk. IMPACT STATEMENT: Our study for the first time revealed a non-linear trend for the association between air pollution and telomere length. The genetic analyses suggested synergistic interactions between air pollution and genetic risk on the air pollution-TL association. These findings may shed new light on air pollution's health effects, offer suggestions for identifying at-risk individuals, and provide hints regarding further investigation into gene-environment interactions.

Air pollution, genetic susceptibility, and the risk of atrial fibrillation: A large prospective cohort study.

To date, no study has explored the extent to which genetic susceptibility modifies the effects of air pollutants on the risk of atrial fibrillation (AF). This study was designed to investigate the separate and joint effects of long-term exposure to air pollutants and genetic susceptibility on the risk of AF events. This study included 401,251 participants without AF at baseline from UK Biobank. We constructed a polygenic risk score and categorized it into three categories. Cox proportional hazards models were fitted to assess the separate and joint effects of long-term exposure to air pollutants and genetics on the risk of AF. Additionally, we further evaluated the effect modification of genetic susceptibility. The hazard ratios and corresponding 95% confidence intervals of incident AF for per interquartile range increase in particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter smaller than 2.5 µm (PM2.5) or 10 µm (PM10), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and nitrogen oxide (NOx) were 1.044 (1.025, 1.063), 1.063 (1.044, 1.083), 1.061 (1.042, 1.081), and 1.039 (1.023, 1.055), respectively. For the combined effects, participants exposed to high air pollutants levels and high genetic risk had approximately 149.2% (PM2.5), 181.7% (PM10), 170.2% (NO2), and 157.2% (NOx) higher risk of AF compared to those with low air pollutants levels and low genetic risk, respectively. Moreover, the significant additive interactions between PM10 and NO2 and genetic risk on AF risk were observed, with around 16.4% and 35.1% of AF risk could be attributable to the interactive effects. In conclusion, long-term exposure to air pollutants increases the risk of AF, particularly among individuals with high genetic susceptibility.

Lifestyle, Genetic Susceptibility, and the Risk of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis: A Large Prospective Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Lifestyle is an important contributor of age-related chronic disease, but the association between lifestyle and the risk of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) remains unknown. The extent to which genetic susceptibility modifies the effects of lifestyle on IPF also remains unclear. RESEARCH QUESTION: Is there a joint effect or interaction of lifestyle and genetic susceptibility on the risk of developing IPF? STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: This study included 407,615 participants from the UK Biobank study. A lifestyle score and a polygenic risk score were constructed separately for each participant. Participants were then classified into three lifestyle categories and three genetic risk categories based on the corresponding score. Cox models were fitted to assess the association of lifestyle and genetic risk with the risk of incident IPF. RESULTS: With favorable lifestyle as the reference group, intermediate lifestyle (hazard ratio, 1.384; 95% CI, 1.218-1.574) and unfavorable lifestyle (hazard ratio, 2.271; 95% CI, 1.852-2.785) were significantly associated with an increased risk of IPF. For the combined effect of lifestyle and polygenic risk score, participants with unfavorable lifestyle and high genetic risk had the highest risk of IPF (hazard ratio, 7.796; 95% CI, 5.482-11.086) compared with those with favorable lifestyle and low genetic risk. Moreover, approximately 32.7% (95% CI, 11.3-54.1) of IPF risk could be attributed to the interaction of an unfavorable lifestyle and high genetic risk. INTERPRETATION: Exposure to unfavorable lifestyle significantly increased the risk of IPF, particularly in those with high genetic risk.

Long-term Exposure to Ambient Air Pollutants and Increased Risk of Pneumonia in the UK Biobank.

BACKGROUND: Short-term exposure to air pollution has been linked to pneumonia risk. However, evidence on the long-term effects of air pollution on pneumonia morbidity is scarce and inconsistent. We investigated the associations of long-term air pollutant exposure with pneumonia and explored the potential interactions with smoking. RESEARCH QUESTION: Is long-term exposure to ambient air pollution associated with the risk of pneumonia, and does smoking modify the associations? STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: We analyzed data in 445,473 participants without pneumonia within 1 year before baseline from the UK Biobank. Annual average concentrations of particulate matter (particulate matter with a diameter < 2.5 µm [PM2.5] and particulate matter with a diameter < 10 µm [PM10]), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and nitrogen oxides (NOx) were estimated using land-use regression models. Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess the associations between air pollutants and pneumonia incidence. Potential interactions between air pollution and smoking were examined on both additive and multiplicative scales. RESULTS: The hazard ratios of pneumonia for each interquartile range increase in PM2.5, PM10, NO2, and NOx concentrations were 1.06 (95% CI, 1.04-1.08), 1.10 (95% CI, 1.08-1.12), 1.12 (95% CI, 1.10-1.15), and 1.06 (95% CI, 1.04-1.07), respectively. There were significant additive and multiplicative interactions between air pollution and smoking. Compared with individuals who had never smoked with low air pollution exposure, individuals who had ever smoked with high air pollution exposure had the highest pneumonia risk (PM2.5: hazard ratio [HR], 1.78; 95% CI, 1.67-1.90; PM10: HR, 1.94; 95% CI, 1.82-2.06; NO2: HR, 2.06; 95% CI, 1.93-2.21; NOx: HR, 1.88; 95% CI, 1.76-2.00). The associations between air pollutants and pneumonia risk persisted in participants exposed to air pollutants concentrations meeting the European Union limits. INTERPRETATION: Long-term exposure to air pollutants was associated with an increased risk of pneumonia, especially in individuals who smoke.