Heart failure & cardiomyopathies
The Effects of Ambient Air Pollutants on Changes in Cardiac Structure and Function
Authors' conclusion
Our findings suggest that common air pollutant exposures are associated with longitudinal preclinical adverse changes in cardiac structure and function.
Study context
- Population
- Individuals with serial echocardiographic assessment of cardiac structure and function, with residential outdoor air pollution estimated from spatio-temporal modelsindividuals with echocardiographic data, mean age 55.3 years at visit 1
- Participants
- 1,630 individuals
- Exposure
- Per IQR higher residential concentration of PM2.5 and nitrogen dioxide and longitudinal changes in echocardiographic measures
Methodological detailsserial echocardiography at 2 visits
- Serial echocardiography at 2 visits
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Global longitudinal strain · median follow-up of 4.3 years
Increase (95% CI)
PM2.5 (per IQR)
0.52%(0.20–0.83)
Nitrogen dioxide (per IQR)
0.12%(0.03–0.20)
Per IQR, as printed
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Left atrial volume index
| Comparison | Change (95% CI) | |
|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 · decreased left atrial volume index | −1.39 (−2.25 to −0.54) | |
| Nitrogen dioxide · decreased left atrial volume index | −0.94 (−1.63 to −0.26) | |
| −3−2−101Difference (linear scale) |
| Outcome | Change (per year) (95% CI) | |
|---|---|---|
| Left ventricular ejection fraction · decrease in left ventricular ejection fraction | −1.05% (−1.73 to −0.37) | |
| −2−101Difference, per year (linear scale) |
Relative wall thickness
| Comparison | Increase (unit) (95% CI) | |
|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 · increase in relative wall thickness | 0.12 (0.05–0.19) | |
| −0.100.10.2Difference, unit (linear scale) |
Original publication
The Effects of Ambient Air Pollutants on Changes in Cardiac Structure and Function. JACC Adv. Published 6 August 2026. doi:10.
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it