Association between Exposure to Ambient Air Particulates and Metabolic Syndrome Components in a Saudi Arabian Population

• Main Authors: Magdy Shamy, Mansour Alghamdi, Mamdouh I. Khoder, Abdullah M. Mohorjy, Alser A. Alkhatim, Abdulrahman K. Alkhalaf, Jason Brocato, Lung Chi Chen, George D. Thurston, Chris C. Lim, Max Costa
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2017-12-01
• Series: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
• Subjects: air pollution; particulate matter; metabolic syndrome; hypertension; diabetes; hyperglycemia
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/15/1/27

Recent epidemiological evidence suggests that exposure to particulates may be a factor in the etiology of metabolic syndrome (MetS). In this novel study, we investigated the relationship between particulate levels and prevalence of MetS component abnormalities (hypertension, hyperglycemia, obesity) in a recruited cohort (N = 2025) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. We observed significant associations between a 10 μg/m3 increase in PM2.5 and increased risks for MetS (Risk Ratio (RR): 1.12; 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.06–1.19), hyperglycemia (RR: 1.08; 95% CI: 1.03–1.14), and hypertension (RR: 1.09; 95% CI: 1.04–1.14). PM2.5 from soil/road dust was found to be associated with hyperglycemia (RR: 1.12; 95% CI: 1.06–1.19) and hypertension (RR: 1.11; 95% CI: 1.05–1.18), while PM2.5 from traffic was associated with hyperglycemia (RR: 1.33; 95% CI: 1.05–1.71). We did not observe any health associations with source-specific mass exposures. Our findings suggest that exposure to specific elemental components of PM2.5, especially Ni, may contribute to the development of cardiometabolic disorders.