Association between Outdoor Air Pollution and Fatal Acute Myocardial Infarction in Lithuania between 2006 and 2015: A Time Series Design

Background. Air pollution has a significant effect on human health and there is a broad body of evidence showing that exposure to air pollution is associated with an increased risk of adverse health effects. The main objective of this study was to assess the association of traffic-related air pollutants with fatal AMI during the ten-year period. Methods. The study was conducted in Kaunas city, where the WHO MONICA register included a total of 2273 adult cases of fatal AMI cases during the 10-year study period. We focused on the period between 2006 and 2015. The associations between exposure to traffic-related air pollution and the risk of fatal AMI were evaluated by using a multivariate Poisson regression model, RR presented per an increase in IQR. Results. It was found that the risk of fatal AMI was significantly higher in all subjects (RR 1.06; 95% CI 1.00–1.12) and women (RR 1.12; 95% CI 1.02–1.22) when the concentration of PM(10) in the ambient air was increased 5–11 days before the onset of AMI, adjusting for NO(2) concentration. The effect was stronger during spring in all subjects (RR 1.12; 95% CI 1.03–1.22), in men (RR 1.13; 95% CI 1.01–1.26), in younger-aged (RR 1.15; 95% CI 1.03–1.28), and in winter in women (RR 1.24; 95% CI 1.03–1.50). Conclusions. Our findings show that ambient air pollution increases the risk of fatal AMI, and this pertains to PM(10) specifically.