Coronary disease & ACSCohort study
Long-term exposure to bushfire-related fine particulate matter and coronary plaque burden in asymptomatic adults
- Prospective cohort study
- serial coronary CT angiography
- mixed-effects linear regression
Authors' conclusion
Long-term exposure to bushfire-related PM2.5 was associated with increased coronary plaque burden among asymptomatic adults with a family history of coronary artery disease
Study context
- Population
- Community-based asymptomatic adults aged 40–70 years with a family history of CAD
- Participants
- 365 adults
- Exposure
- Per 1 µg/m3 increase in cumulative bushfire-related PM2.5
- Outcome
- Coronary plaque volume and components
- Follow-up
- baseline and 3-year follow-up
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Total plaque volume per 1 µg/m3 increase in cumulative bushfire-related PM2.5
Per 1 µg/m3 increase in cumulative bushfire-related PM2.5Increase in total plaque volume, mm3 (95% CI)
baseline
10.14(1.45–18.82)
3-year follow-up
4.92(1.33–8.52)
Per 1 µg/m3 increase in cumulative bushfire-related PM2.5, as printed
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Exposure levels (10-year)
µg/m3
- Average annual total PM2.5 before baseline
- 5.88
- Average annual total PM2.5 before 3-year follow-up
- 5.93
- Median cumulative bushfire-related PM2.5 before baseline
- 6.06 (IQR, 5.18-6.80)
- Median cumulative bushfire-related PM2.5 before follow-up
- 6.43 (IQR, 5.67-7.26)
Statin users (exploratory)
- Weaker associations between PM2.5 exposure and plaque burden among statin users; formal interaction testing not statistically significant
- exploratory analyses
Original publication
Long-term exposure to bushfire-related fine particulate matter and coronary plaque burden in asymptomatic adults. Eur J Prev Cardiol. Published 29 July 2026. doi:10.1093/eurjpc/zwag399
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it