Impacts of heatwaves and cold spells on glaucoma in rural China: a national cross-sectional study

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Ai Zhang, Tianjin Medical University; Qihua Wang, Tianjin Medical University; Xueli Yang, Tianjin Medical University; Jiayu He, Tianjin Medical University; Anqi Shan, Tianjin Medical University; Naixiu Sun, Nankai University; Qianfeng Liu, Tianjin Medical University; Baoqun Yao, Tianjin Medical University; Fengchao Liang, Southern University of Science & Technology; Ze Yang, Tianjin Medical University; Xiaochang Yan, Peking University; Shaoye Bo, China Foundation for Disabled Persons; Yang Liu, Emory University; Hongjun Mao, Nankai University; Xi Chen, Tianjin Medical University; Nai-Jun Tang, Tianjin Medical University; Hua Yan, Tianjin Medical University
• Language: English
• Date: 2023-02-03
• Publisher: SPRINGER HEIDELBERG
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © The Author(s) 2023
• License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11356-023-25591-8
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
• Volume: 30
• Issue: 16
• Start Page: 47248
• End Page: 47261
• Grant/Funding Information: This research was supported by National Key Research and Development Program of China (Grant Number 2021YFC2401404), National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Numbers 82020108007, 81830026). The funders had no role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.
• Keywords: Science & Technology; Cold spells; PM2 5; Environmental Sciences; Cross-sectional study; Environmental Sciences & Ecology; PERSPECTIVE; CLASSIFICATION; DEFINITION; INTRAOCULAR-PRESSURE; Glaucoma; CHAMBER DEPTH; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; PACG; HEALTH; PREVALENCE; MORTALITY; Heatwaves; POPULATION-BASED-SURVEY; ANGLE-CLOSURE GLAUCOMA
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Oncology

Abstract

China faces increasing health risks from climate change. The structure and function of the eye and vision were affected by extreme heat and cold. The study aimed to evaluate the impacts of heatwaves and cold spells on glaucoma. A national cross-sectional study of the Rural Epidemiology for Glaucoma (REG-China) was conducted in ten provinces of China, and 36,081 adults aged 40 years or more were included. Glaucoma signs were assessed via a standard examination. A total of 15 heatwave definitions, based on intensity (95th to 99th percentiles of temperature distribution) and duration (≥2 days, 3 days, and 4 days), were used to quantify heatwave effects, and 6 cold spell definitions were defined based on threshold temperature percentile (5th and 10th) and duration (3 days, 5 days, and 9 days). Multivariable-adjusted logistic regression models paired with interaction analysis were performed to investigate the impacts of heatwaves and cold spells on glaucoma, and the dose-response relationships were assessed using a restricted cubic spline (RCS) model. Subgroup analysis was conducted stratified by gender, age, smoking status, occupation, and family history of glaucoma. The overall prevalence of glaucoma was 2.1% (95% CI 1.94–2.25%). Higher heatwaves were significantly correlated with higher OR of glaucoma, with the OR (95% CI) ranging from 1.014 (1.009, 1.018) to 1.090 (1.065, 1.115) by different definitions. Glaucoma was affected by heatwaves more strongly than by cold spells. The effects of both heatwaves and cold spells were higher in males than females and in smokers than nonsmokers. These results of the present study evoked the attention of prospective research to elucidate the relationship between extreme temperatures and eye diseases.