Valvular & structural heart diseaseCohort study
Ambient fine particulate matter exposure and prognosis in patients with valvular heart disease
- national multicentre prospective cohort study
- registry (China-VHD registry)
- time-varying Cox proportional hazards regression
Authors' conclusion
Exposure to air pollution was associated with adverse outcomes in patients with VHD. These findings highlight the potential role of a key environmental factor in the progression and prognosis of VHD.
Study context
- Population
- Patients diagnosed with valvular heart disease (VHD) between April and June 2018, ChinaVHD patients included
- Participants
- 12,258 patients
- Exposure
- highest tertile of monthly ambient PM 2.5 exposure compared with those in the lowest tertile
- Outcome
- all-cause mortality or heart failure hospitalisation
- Follow-up
- 2 years
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Hazard ratio (95% CI)
highest tertile vs lowest tertile
1.24(1.07–1.43)
- Each IQR (21.80 µg/m³) increase in monthly ambient PM 2.5 exposure · per IQR increase
- fold higher risk 1.11 (95% CI 1.04–1.18)
- patients who experienced the primary outcome
- 1577 patients (12.9%)
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Baseline characteristics · enrolment
- Mean age at enrolment
- 61.2±13.7 years
- male
- 54.7%
- Mean baseline ambient PM 2.5 exposure
- 43.50±12.25 µg/m 3
Original publication
Ambient fine particulate matter exposure and prognosis in patients with valvular heart disease. Heart. Published 18 May 2026. doi:10.1136/heartjnl-2025-327619
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it