Long-term exposure to summer specific humidity and cardiovascular disease hospitalizations in the US Medicare population
Year: 2023
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: INTRODUCTION: Most climate-health studies focus on temperature; however, less is known about health effects of exposure to atmospheric moisture. Humid air limits sweat evaporation from the body and can in turn exert strain on the cardiovascular system. We evaluated associations of long-term exposure to summer specific humidity with cardiovascular disease (CVD), coronary heart disease (CHD) and cerebrovascular disease (CBV) hospitalization. METHODS: We built an open cohort consisting of ∼63 million fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries, aged ≥65, living in the contiguous US (2000-2016). We assessed zip code level summer average specific humidity and specific humidity variability, based on daily estimates from the Gridded Surface Meteorological dataset (∼4km spatial resolution). To estimate associations of summer specific humidity with first CVD, CHD, and CBV hospitalization, we used Cox-equivalent Poisson models adjusted for individual and area-level socioeconomic status indicators, temperature, and winter specific humidity. RESULTS: Higher summer average specific humidity was associated with an increased risk of CVD, CHD, and CBV hospitalization. We found hazard ratios (HRs) of 1.07 (95%CI: 1.07, 1.08) for CVD hospitalization, 1.08 (95%CI: 1.08, 1.09) for CHD hospitalization, and 1.07 (95%CI: 1.07, 1.08) for CBV hospitalization per IQR increase (4.0 g of water vapor/kg of dry air) in summer average specific humidity. Associations of summer average specific humidity were strongest for beneficiaries eligible for Medicaid and for beneficiaries with an unknown or other race. Higher summer specific humidity variability was also associated with increased risk of CVD, CHD, and CBV hospitalization. Associations were not affected by adjustment for temperature and regions of the US, as well as exclusion of potentially prevalent cases. CONCLUSION: Long-term exposure to higher summer average specific humidity and specific humidity variability were positively associated with CVD hospitalization. As global warming could increase humidity levels, our findings are important to assess potential health impacts of climate change.
Source: Environment International
Language: English
Subfield: Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,790
Awards: Built Environment Assessment through Computer visiON (BEACON): Applying Deep Learning to Street-Level and Satellite Images to Estimate Built Environment Effects on Cardiovascular Health, G1119973651, Relationship Between Multiple Environmental Exposures and CVD Incidence and Survival: Vulnerability and Susceptibility, G1871060461, Cardiovascular Health and Air Pollution: A National Study, Evidence to improve heat warning effectiveness in reducing morbidity and mortality., Harvard Chan School NIEHS Center for Environmental Health, Casual Inference with Interference for Evaluating Air Quality Policies, Disease Outcomes iN Older adults under extreme Heat, AiR pollution and Medication use (DO-NO-HARM), G5978985062, Integrating Air Pollution Prediction Models: Uncertainty Quantification and Propagation in Health Studies, Training Program in Environmental Epidemiology, The confluence of extreme heat cold on the health and longevity of an Aging Population with Alzheimers and related Dementia, Environmental Health Disparities in an Older Population, Short and long-term consequences of wildfires for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias, National Cohort Studies of Alzheimer's Disease, Related Dementias and Air Pollution
OpenAlex ID: W4386400969