A time-series analysis of short-term ambient ozone exposure and hospitalizations from acute myocardial infarction in Henan, China

Epidemiological studies in recent years have identified an association between exposure to air pollutants and acute myocardial infarction (AMI); however, the association between short-term ozone (O(3)) exposure and AMI hospitalization remains unclear, particularly in developing countries. Therefore, this study collected information on 24,489 AMI patients, including daily air pollutant and meteorological data in Henan, China, between 2016 and 2021. A distributed lagged nonlinear model combined with a Poisson regression model was used to estimate the nonlinear lagged effect of O(3) on AMI hospitalizations. We also quantified the effects of O(3) on the number of AMI hospitalizations, hospitalization days, and hospitalization costs. The results showed that single- and dual-pollution models of O(3) at lag0, lag1, and lag (01–07) were risk factors for AMI hospitalizations, with the most significant effect at lag03 (RR = 1.132, 95% CI:1.083–1.182). Further studies showed that males, younger people (15–64 years), warm seasons, and long sunshine duration were more susceptible to O(3). Hospitalizations attributable to O(3) during the study period accounted for 11.66% of the total hospitalizations, corresponding to 2856 patients, 33,492 hospital days, and 90 million RMB. Maintaining O(3) at 10–130 µg/m(3) can prevent hundreds of AMI hospitalizations and save millions of RMB per year in Henan, China. In conclusion, we found that short-term exposure to O(3) was significantly associated with an increased risk of hospitalization for AMI in Henan, China, and that further reductions in ambient O(3) levels may have substantial health and economic benefits for patients and local healthcare facilities. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT: [Image: see text] SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11356-023-28456-2.