Heart failure & cardiomyopathiesCohort study
The Effects of Ambient Air Pollutants on Changes in Cardiac Structure and Function
- longitudinal study
- serial echocardiography at 2 visits
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
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:10.1016/j.jacadv.2026.103104
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it