BACKGROUND
Long-term exposure to ambient fine and coarse particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) is a major risk factor for asthma development. However, how urbanicity, poverty, and age jointly modify this association and contribute to disparities in asthma incidence remains unclear.
METHODS
We conducted a nationwide retrospective cohort study of 8,252,498 adults in South Korea using the Korean National Health Insurance Service database. Health records were linked to 1km2 resolution estimates of long-term PM2.5 and PM10 exposure. Asthma incidence was assessed using Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for demographic, clinical, and environmental covariates. Stratified analyses were performed by age, Medical Aid status, and residential area.
RESULTS
Long-term exposure to PM2.5 and PM10 was significantly associated with an increased risk of new-onset asthma. Each 10 μg/m3 increase in PM2.5 was associated with a hazard ratio (HR) of 1.33 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.32-1.34), while a comparable increase in PM10 was associated with an HR of 1.38 (95% CI, 1.37-1.38). Stratified analyses demonstrated progressive risk amplification across age, Medical Aid status, and residential area, with HRs ranging from 1.16 (95% CI, 1.14-1.18) among younger adults without Medical Aid living in rural areas to 1.80 (95% CI, 1.66-1.94) among older adults and receiving Medical Aid residing in urban areas (p for interaction < 0.001).
CONCLUSION
Long-term PM exposure significantly increased asthma risk, with the greatest disparities observed among socioeconomically disadvantaged older adults residing in urban areas. Urgent, targeted strategies are needed to mitigate the disproportionate asthma burden attributable to these inequities.
Hyun Lee, Jihye Heo, Jihee Nam et al.· Allergy. European Journal of...· 0 citations
AIM
Frailty is increasingly recognised as an age-independent predictor of adverse outcomes in cardiovascular disease, yet it is rarely assessed in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) due to practical limitations. This study examined the prognostic significance of frailty, assessed using a laboratory-based frailty index (FI-Lab), in patients with ACS undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).
METHODS AND RESULTS
We conducted a multicentre retrospective cohort study across five Korean hospitals using the Observational Medical Outcomes Partnership Common Data Model. Adult patients (≥18 years) who underwent PCI for ACS were included. Frailty status was determined as FI-Lab ≥ 0.4, calculated as the proportion of deficits across 28 routine laboratory variables, with inclusion restricted to patients having at least 70% of laboratory values available. Propensity score matching (1:1) and cox proportional hazards regression were employed to examine the relationships between frailty and clinical outcomes including recurrent acute myocardial infarction, hospital readmissions, and all-cause mortality. Of 5,405 patients, 25.2% were classified as frail. After matching, 929 pairs were analysed. Frailty was significantly associated with hospital readmission (HR 1.946; 95% CI 1.635-2.316) and all-cause mortality (HR 3.675; 95% CI 2.680-5.038), but not with recurrent AMI (HR 0.995; 95% CI 0.854-1.160). Subgroup analyses confirmed consistent associations across age and sex, with robust links to mortality in patients ≥65 years.
CONCLUSION
Frailty, as assessed by FI-Lab, independently predicted hospital readmission and mortality after PCI in patients with ACS. Automated, laboratory-based frailty screening is feasible in acute settings and supports its integration into cardiovascular nursing for early risk stratification and personalised care.
Sujin Gan, E. Seo, Sang Youl Rhee et al.· European Journal of Cardiova...· 0 citations
We use cookies to run the site and, with your consent, for analytics and to show ads.
See our Cookie Policy.
