Air pollution raises patients’ risk of hospitalization, study finds
Ozone, nitrogen dioxide, and particulate matter seen to affect health
People with Parkinson’s disease who live in areas with measurable air pollution are at a heightened risk of hospitalization, according to a new analysis in the U.S.
This work “provides critical information on whether air pollution could be used as a lever to reduce the risk of hospitalizations” with Parkinson’s, the researchers wrote in the study, “The effect of air pollution on hospitalizations with Parkinson’s disease among medicare beneficiaries nationwide,” published in npj Parkinson’s Disease.
Air pollutants can have a wide range of detrimental effects on human health. Several studies suggest that air pollution can increase the risk of developing Parkinson’s, but few have looked at the impact of pollution on the health of people already living with Parkinson’s.
Air pollution exposure tracked by ZIP code of hospitalized patients
A team of scientists in the U.S. used detailed mathematical models to evaluate whether air pollution increases the risk of hospitalization among Parkinson’s patients who are insured through Medicare, the government-funded program providing health insurance to individuals age 65 and older. For the analysis, air pollution levels were assessed based on the ZIP code where each patient lived, and mathematical adjustments were made to account for factors like socioeconomic status.
“Hospitalizations with [Parkinson’s] is a well-documented event that poses a significant financial burden to health systems and patients,” the researchers noted.
The analysis included data covering more than 49 million Medicare beneficiaries, followed between 2001 and 2016. Researchers specifically looked at three types of air pollution: ozone, nitrogen dioxide, and particulate matter. Ozone and nitrogen dioxide are pollutants made when fossil fuels are burned, whereas particulate matter refers to small particles of dust and other debris in the air.
Results showed that people with Parkinson’s who were first hospitalized between 2003 and 2016 — 757,567 of total group — generally were exposed to higher annual air pollution concentrations than Parkinson’s patients without a need for hospital care. Patients hospitalized during the study’s first two years were excluded from analyzes to minimize “the inclusion of those with severe [Parkinson’s disease] symptoms,” the scientists wrote.
Hazards seen in exposure to air pollutants even at low levels
All three types of ambient pollutants associated with a significantly higher risk of a first hospitalization: by 3% with ozone, 7% with nitrogen dioxide, and 8% with particulate matter. The results showed these pollutants increased a hospitalization risk even when pollution levels were below current standards for air pollution.
“We observed [particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide, and ozone] to increase the incidence rate of hospitalization with [Parkinson’s], and estimates were robust to multiple analytic approaches,” the researchers wrote.
They noted it’s not clear from the data whether the hospitalizations were specifically due to Parkinson’s disease. Still, their findings support the idea that controlling air pollution could be important for improving the health of Parkinson’s patients.
“Our findings suggest that exposure to even low levels of criteria air pollutants is hazardous and can be used to inform future revisions to the national ambient air pollution standards,” the researchers concluded.
About the Author
