Arrhythmias & electrophysiologyCohort study
Life-course exposure to PM2.5 components and genetic susceptibility on the risk of atrial fibrillation and subsequent heart failure
- Prospective cohort study
- UK Biobank
Authors' conclusion
Our findings highlight that minimizing cumulative pollution exposure is crucial for preventing incident AF and subsequent HF, especially in genetically susceptible individuals, guiding precision prevention strategies.
Study context
- Population
- UK Biobank participants
- Participants
- 464,541 participants
- Exposure
- Life-course exposure to PM2.5 components and genetic susceptibility
- Outcome
- Incident AF and subsequent progression to HF
- Follow-up
- Median 12.3 years
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
EC exposure (per 1-SD increase)Hazard ratio (95% CI)
incident AF
1.03(1.02–1.04)
progression to HF
1.04(1.01–1.08)
Per 1-SD increase, as printed
- Incident atrial fibrillation (AF)
- 27 655
- Progression from AF to heart failure (HF)
- 12.3%
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Gene-environment interaction
- Significant multiplicative interaction for incident AF; additive interaction for progression to HF, relative excess risk due to interaction up to
- 0.46
Original publication
Life-course exposure to PM2.5 components and genetic susceptibility on the risk of atrial fibrillation and subsequent heart failure. Eur J Prev Cardiol. Published 25 November 2025. doi:10.1093/eurjpc/zwaf751
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it