Joint effects of meteorological factors and PM<inf>2.5</inf> on age-related macular degeneration: a national cross-sectional study in China

• Authors: Jiayu He, Tianjin Medical University; Yuanyuan Liu, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital; Ai Zhang, Tianjin Medical University; Qianfeng Liu, Tianjin Medical University; Xueli Yang, Tianjin Medical University; Naixiu Sun, Nankai University; Baoqun Yao, Tianjin Medical University; Fengchao Liang, Southern University of Science and Technology; Xiaochang Yan, Peking University; Yang Liu, Emory University; Hongjun Mao, Nankai University; Xi Chen, Tianjin Medical University; Nai-Jun Tang, Tianjin Medical University; Hua Yan, Tianjin Medical University
• Journal Title: Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine
• Volume: Volume 28, Number 1
• Publisher: The Japanese Society for Hygiene Production services Nakanishi Printing Co., Ltd. | 2023-01-01, Pages 3-3
• Type of Work: Article | Final Publisher PDF
• Publisher DOI: http://doi.org/10.1265/ehpm.22-00237
• Subjects: Health Sciences, Medicine and Surgery; Health Sciences, Public Health
• Keywords: Age-related macular degeneration; Air pollution; Meteorological factors; PM2.5; Synergistic effect; Humans; Adult; Middle Aged; Cross-Sectional Studies; Air Pollutants; Particulate Matter; China; Macular Degeneration; Meteorological Concepts

Abstract

Background: Weather conditions are a possible contributing factor to age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of irreversible loss of vision. The present study evaluated the joint effects of meteorological factors and fine particulate matter (PM2.5)on AMD. Methods: Data was extracted from a national cross-sectional survey conducted across 10 provinces in rural China. A total of 36,081 participants aged 40 and older were recruited. AMD was diagnosed clinically by slit-lamp ophthalmoscopy, fundus photography, and spectral domain optical coherence tomography (OCT). Meteorological data were calculated by European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) reanalysis and were matched to participants’ home addresses by latitude and longitude. Participants’ individual PM2.5 exposure concentrations were calculated by a satellite-based model at a 1-km resolution level. Multivariable-adjusted logistic regression models paired with interaction analysis were performed to investigate the joint effects of meteorological factors and PM2.5 on AMD. Results: The prevalence of AMD in the study population was 2.6% (95% CI 2.42–2.76%). The average annual PM2.5 level during the study period was 63.1 « 15.3 µg/m3. A significant positive association was detected between AMD and PM2.5 level, temperature (T), and relative humidity (RH), in both the independent and the combined effect models. For PM2.5, compared with the lowest quartile, the odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) across increasing quartiles were 0.828 (0.674,1.018), 1.105 (0.799,1.528), and 2.602 (1.516,4.468). Positive associations were observed between AMD and temperature, with ORs (95% CI) of 1.625 (1.059,2.494), 1.619 (1.026,2.553), and 3.276 (1.841,5.830), across increasing quartiles. In the interaction analysis, the estimated relative excess risk due to interaction (RERI) and the attributable proportion (AP) for combined atmospheric pressure and PM2.5 was 0.864 (0.586,1.141) and 1.180 (0.768,1.592), respectively, indicating a synergistic effect between PM2.5 and atmospheric pressure. Conclusions: This study is among the first to characterize the coordinated effects of meteorological factors and PM2.5 on AMD. The findings warrant further investigation to elucidate the relationship between ambient environment and AMD.