Associations of air pollutant exposures with Cardio-Kidney-Metabolic syndrome in Chinese middle-aged and older adults: a cross-sectional study based on CHARLS

Nov 27, 2025BMC public health

Links between air pollution and heart, kidney, and metabolic health in middle-aged and older Chinese adults

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Abstract

Each one-standard-deviation increase in PM₁₀ concentration is associated with a 16% higher odds of more advanced Cardio-Kidney-Metabolic syndrome.

  • Long-term exposure to air pollutants, including PM₁₀, SO₂, PM₂.₅, NO₂, and O₃, is linked to increased severity of .
  • The strongest association with CKM progression was observed for PM₁₀, with an odds ratio of 1.16 per 33.3 µg/m³ increase.
  • An overall mixture of pollutants is associated with an increased likelihood of CKM progression, with an odds ratio of 1.20 per quartile increase in the pollutant index.
  • Older adults (≥ 60 years) and residents of eastern China may be more susceptible to the adverse effects of air pollution on CKM syndrome.

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Key numbers

1.16
Increase in Odds of Advanced CKM Stage (PM₁₀)
Per one-standard-deviation increase in PM₁₀ concentration.
1.20
Increase in Odds of Advanced CKM Stage (Pollutant Mixture)
Per quartile increase in the WQS index.
3,937
Study Population Size
Participants from the CHARLS study.

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