Ambient Air Pollution and Incident Cardiovascular Disease in People with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A cohort study.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to assess the effect of air pollution on incident cardiovascular disease (CVD) in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). METHODS: We tracked 486 T2DM patients from 2012 to 2021. Cox regression models were applied to assess the hazard of exposure to particulate matter, carbon monoxide (CO), ozone, nitrogen dioxide, and sulfur dioxide (SO2) on incident CVD, revealing hazard ratios (HRs). RESULTS: CVD incidents occurred in 73 individuals. Among men, each 1-ppm increase in CO levels raised the risk of CVD (HR 2.66 (95% CI 1.30-5.44). For women, a 5-ppb rise in SO2 increased CVD risk (HR 1.60 (95% CI 1.11-2.30). No notable impact of particulate pollutants was found. CONCLUSIONS: Persistent exposure to gaseous air pollutants, specifically CO and SO2, is linked to the development of CVD in men and women with T2DM.