Ambient particulate matter exposure and red blood cell distribution width (RDW): results from a cross-sectional linkage study in Portugal

Gaio, Vânia; Roquette, Rita; Matias Dias, Carlos; Nunes, Baltazar

http://hdl.handle.net/10400.18/8096

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Abstract(s)

BACKGROUND AND AIM:Ambient particulate matter (PM) is now a well-established risk factor to develop cardiovasculardiseases. Multiple studies have linked PM exposure to cardiovascular events, but the pathophysiologic mechanisms linking theoccurrence of these events with PM exposure are still an area of intensive debate. red blood cell distribution width (RDW), a bloodparameter used to measure the variability sizes of the red blood cells, has been associated with a vast array of human pathologies,including cardiovascular diseases. The present study aims to estimate the long-term effect of PM10 exposure on RDW, in the adultPortuguese mainland population. METHODS:Our study was based on 2211 participants of the 1st Portuguese Health Examination Survey (INSEF, 2015) withavailable data on RDW parameter and living within a 30km radius of an air quality monitoring station from the air quality monitoringnetwork of the Portuguese Environment Agency with available PM10 measurements. Generalized linear models were used toassess the effect of 1-year PM10 exposure on RDW values. RESULTS:We found an association between long-term exposure to PM10 and RDW values (2.82% RDW increase per each 10μg/m3 PM10 increment, 95% CI: 0.62%; 5.02%), particularly among males (2.96% RDW increase per each 10 μg/m3 PM10increment, 95% CI: 0.80–5.12), which is well supported by the sensitivity analysis. CONCLUSIONS:To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study describing an association between ambient PM10 exposureand RDW values. It is uncertain whether changes in RDW due to PM10 exposure constitute an adverse health outcome. However,RDW has been identified as an independent prognostic biomarker of multiple cardiovascular diseases, therefore we consider thisresult to be of special relevance in particular to explain the effect of PM10 in triggering cardiovascular events.

Key finding: Even at low levels of exposure, there was an association between long-term exposure to particulate matter (PM10) and increased values of red blood cell distribution width (RDW)