IN A nationally representative cohort outdoor air pollution exposure was associated with chances of glycolipid metabolic disorders.
Outdoor Air Pollution and Glycolipid Metabolic Disorders
Glycolipid metabolic disorders include diabetes mellitus and dyslipidemia, yet the contribution of ambient exposures remains incompletely characterized. In this longitudinal cohort analysis of middle-aged and older adults, researchers examined whether outdoor particulate matter and ozone (O3) were associated with incident glycolipid metabolic disorders, and whether relationships differed by exposure window.
Using multivariable logistic regression adjusted for key factors including age, sex, and smoking status, the study evaluated particulate matter (PM1, PM2.5, PM10) and ozone across long-term (5-year average) and short-term (1-year average) exposure periods. Long-term increases per 1 μg/m³ in PM1, PM2.5, PM10, and O3 were consistently linked with higher odds of diabetes and dyslipidemia, with PM1 showing comparatively larger effect estimates.
Short-Term Versus Long-Term Exposure Signals
Short-term exposure showed even stronger associations for select pollutant and outcome pairs. Notably, PM1 demonstrated robust short-term relationships with dyslipidemia and diabetes, suggesting metabolic vulnerability may track with more proximate exposure patterns in addition to longer accumulation windows.
The investigators also assessed PM2.5 chemical components and reported dose-dependent relationships between several constituents and both diabetes and dyslipidemia. Chloride (Cl-), ammonium (NH4+), sulfate (SO4 2-), and nitrate (NO3-) each tracked with higher odds, with particularly large estimates reported for chloride per 1 μg/m³ for both outcomes.
Indoor Solid Fuel Pollutants Not Linked in This Cohort
In contrast, indoor pollutants related to solid fuel use were not significantly associated with diabetes or dyslipidemia in either long-term or short-term models. The authors interpret this divergence as underscoring the potential importance of targeted outdoor air quality interventions to reduce metabolic risk at the population level, with particular attention to fine particulate fractions and their chemical makeup.
Reference: Zhou C et al. Long-term and short-term exposure to outdoor air pollution and its association with glycolipid metabolic disorders. World J Diabetes. 2025;16(12):110028.
