AUTHOR=Xia Zhiwei , Liu Yinjiang , Liu Chao , Dai Ziyu , Liang Xisong , Zhang Nan , Wu Wantao , Wen Jie , Zhang Hao 

TITLE=The causal effect of air pollution on the risk of essential hypertension: a Mendelian randomization study

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Public Health

VOLUME=12

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1247149

DOI=10.3389/fpubh.2024.1247149

ISSN=2296-2565

ABSTRACT=<sec id="sec1"><title>Background</title><p>Air pollution poses a major threat to human health by causing various illnesses, such as cardiovascular diseases. While plenty of research indicates a correlation between air pollution and hypertension, a definitive answer has yet to be found.</p></sec><sec id="sec2"><title>Methods</title><p>Our analyses were performed using the Genome-wide association study (GWAS) of exposure to air pollutants from UKB (PM2.5, PM10, NO<sub>2</sub>, and NO<sub>X</sub>; <italic>n</italic> = 423,796 to 456,380), essential hypertension from FinnGen (42,857 cases and 162,837 controls) and from UKB (54,358 cases and 408,652 controls) as a validated cohort. Univariable and multivariable Mendelian randomization (MR) were conducted to investigate the causal relationship between air pollutants and essential hypertension. Body mass index (BMI), alcohol intake frequency, and the number of cigarettes previously smoked daily were included in multivariable MRs (MVMRs) as potential mediators/confounders.</p></sec><sec id="sec3"><title>Results</title><p>Our findings suggested that higher levels of both PM2.5 (OR [95%CI] per 1 SD increase in predicted exposure = 1.24 [1.02–1.53], <italic>p</italic> = 3.46E-02 from Finn; OR [95%CI] = 1.04 [1.02–1.06], <italic>p</italic> = 7.58E-05 from UKB) and PM10 (OR [95%CI] = 1.24 [1.02–1.53], <italic>p</italic> = 3.46E-02 from Finn; OR [95%CI] = 1.04 [1.02–1.06], <italic>p</italic> = 7.58E-05 from UKB) were linked to an increased risk for essential hypertension. Even though we used MVMR to adjust for the impacts of smoking and drinking on the relationship between PM2.5 exposure and essential hypertension risks, our findings suggested that although there was a direct positive connection between them, it is not present after adjusting BMI (OR [95%CI] = 1.05 [0.87–1.27], <italic>p</italic> = 6.17E-01). Based on the study, higher exposure to PM2.5 and PM10 increases the chances of developing essential hypertension, and this influence could occur through mediation by BMI.</p></sec><sec id="sec4"><title>Conclusion</title><p>Exposure to both PM2.5 and PM10 is thought to have a causal relationship with essential hypertension. Those impacted by substantial levels of air pollution require more significant consideration for their cardiovascular health.</p></sec>