Long-term Air Pollution and Overall and Regional Body Composition in Older Adults With Overweight or Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationship between long-term air pollution exposure, including black carbon (BC), fine particulate matter (PM2.5), and nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and total fat mass, visceral fat mass, and lean mass in older adults with overweight or obesity and metabolic syndrome. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We included 1,454 older adults (aged 54-75 years; 48% female) from the PREDIMED-Plus trial in Spain who underwent baseline DXA scans at recruitment (2013-2016) and at 1- and 3-year follow-up. Annual air pollution exposure was assigned at participants' baseline residential address at 100 m resolution. We used linear mixed-effect regression models with interaction terms for exposure and time to examine longitudinal associations with body composition, also stratifying by sex, age, and physical activity. RESULTS: At baseline, a 1 × 10-5/m increase in BC was associated with 1.01% (95% CI 0.31-1.71) higher body fat percentage, -0.97% (95% CI -1.64 to -0.30) lower lean mass percentage, and -0.74 kg (95% CI -1.37 to -0.12) lower lean mass. PM2.5 and NO2 showed similar relationships with body fat and lean mass percentage at baseline. These associations persisted in years 1 and 3 for BC and PM2.5. In age-stratified analyses, associations with visceral fat mass were observed only in participants younger than 65 years. Associations did not meaningfully differ by sex or physical activity. CONCLUSIONS: Long-term air pollution exposure was adversely associated with body composition over 3 years. Results indicate air pollution is associated with fat accumulation and lean mass loss in metabolically vulnerable older adults.
Source: Diabetes Care
DOI: 10.2337/dc25-2497
Authors: Ariadna Curto, Jadwiga Konieczna, Antoni Colom, Itziar Abete, Kees de Hoogh, Gerard Hoek, Jordi Salas-Salvadó, J. Vicente Martín-Sánchez, Ramón Estruch, Josep Vidal, Estefania Toledo, Jesús F. García-Gavilán, José Antonio de Paz, Rosa Casas, Nuria Goñi-Ruiz, Héctor Vázquez-Lorente, Montserrat Fitó, J. Alfredo Martínez, Dora Romaguera
Institutions: Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Health Research Institute of the Balearic Islands, Hospital Universitario Son Espases, Centro de Enseñanza Superior Alberta Giménez, Universidad Pontificia Comillas, Navarre Institute of Health Research, Universidad de Navarra, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, University of Basel, Utrecht University, Institut de Recerca Biomèdica Catalunya Sud, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Universidad de León, Universitat de Barcelona, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Servicio Navarro de Salud, Municipal Institute for Medical Research, Hospital del Mar Research Institute, Universidad de Valladolid, IMDEA Food, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid
Language: English
Subfield: Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
Funders: “la Caixa” Foundation, Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red-Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición, Agència de Gestió d'Ajuts Universitaris i de Recerca, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Agencia Estatal de Investigación, H2020 European Research Council
OpenAlex ID: W7155032402