The Association Between Ambient Particulate Matter Exposure and Anemia in HIV/AIDS Patients

Area of Science:

• Environmental Health
• Hematology
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• Anemia is a prevalent complication in HIV/AIDS patients, affecting disease outcomes.
• Particulate matter (PM) exposure is an under-researched environmental risk factor for anemia in this population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between short-term and long-term particulate matter (PM) exposure and hemoglobin (Hb) levels in HIV/AIDS patients.
• To determine the relationship between PM exposure and the prevalence and incidence of anemia in this cohort.
• To explore the mediating role of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in PM-induced anemia.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a dataset of 36,266 Hb measurements from 6808 HIV/AIDS patients (2004-2021).
• Employed linear mixed-effects models for short-term PM exposure and Hb levels.
• Applied logistic and time-varying Cox models for long-term PM exposure, anemia prevalence, and incidence.
• Conducted mediation analysis to assess the role of CKD.

Main Results:

• Increased PM exposure (PM1, PM2.5, PM10) was significantly associated with decreased Hb levels.
• Higher long-term PM exposure correlated with increased prevalence and incidence of anemia.
• Chronic kidney disease partially mediated the association between PM exposure and anemia incidence.

Conclusions:

• Particulate matter exposure is a significant environmental risk factor associated with lower hemoglobin and increased anemia in HIV/AIDS patients.
• CKD plays a mediating role in the development of anemia linked to PM exposure.
• Findings suggest PM exposure is a modifiable risk factor that warrants further investigation and potential intervention strategies.