Association between PM₁₀ and specific circulatory system diseases in China

Particulate matter (PM) has been proved to be a risk factor for the development of circulatory system diseases (CSDs) around the world. In this study, we collected daily air pollutants, emergency room (ER) visits for CSDs, and meteorological data from 2009 to 2012 in Beijing, China. After controlling for the long-term trend and eliminating the influence of confounding factors, the generalized additive model (GAM) was used to evaluate the short-term effects of PM₁₀ on CSDs and cause-specific diseases. The results showed that for every 10 μg/m³ increase in PM₁₀, the largest effect estimates in ER visits of total CSDs, arrhythmia, cerebrovascular diseases, high blood pressure, ischemic heart disease and other related diseases were 0.14% (95% CI: 0.06-0.23%), 0.37% (95% CI: - 0.23 to 0.97%), 0.20% (95% CI: 0.00-0.40%), 0.15% (95% CI: 0.02-0.27%), 0.18% (95% CI: 0.02-0.35%) and 0.35% (95% CI: - 0.04 to 0.79%), respectively. When NO₂ or SO₂ was added into the model, the effect estimates of PM₁₀ were mostly attenuated, while in those models with PM_2.5 added, the effect estimates of PM₁₀ were mostly increased. Stratified analysis indicated that PM₁₀ had a greater effect on males and the elderly.