Scientists from Jiangsu Center for Disease Control and Prevention found that PM2.5 fine particulate matter affects the ratio of “bad” and “good” cholesterol in the blood, even with short-term exposure. Research published in the journal scientific reports.
Previous studies have shown that exposure to particles smaller than 2.5 micrometers (PM2.5) increases the prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and dementia among the elderly. PM2.5 is an important metric for assessing air quality.
In the new study, researchers analyzed data from nearly 197,000 people, aged 48, who had a physical exam between 2015 and 2020. All participants who used cholesterol-lowering medication and were frequently exposed to fine dust in the workplace were excluded.
The scientists found that short-term exposure to PM2.5 was associated with higher total cholesterol levels and low-density lipoprotein. The latter is called “bad” cholesterol. Exposure was also associated with lower triglyceride levels, which contradicts previous studies.
The scientists believe the differences in results may be due to the fact that more people were studied in their study. It is the largest study to date on the relationship between PM2.5 and cholesterol levels.