Association between air pollution and telomere length: A study of 471,808 UK Biobank participants

Abstract

<p>Previous research suggested an association between air pollution and shortened telomere length (TL), a biomarker of oxidative stress and inflammation. However, supporting results are challenged by the small sample size and heterogeneity in participant characteristics. To comprehensively evaluate the association of long-term exposure to air pollution with telomere length, we studied 471,808 participants from UK Biobank with measurements on leukocyte telomere length (LTL). Air pollution data on PM<sub>2.5</sub>, PM<sub>10</sub>, NO<sub>2</sub>, NO<sub>x</sub>, SO<sub>2</sub>, and CO before baseline at 1 km spatial resolution were collected and linked to each participant’s residential address. We applied mixed-effects linear regression models to examine the association between long-term air pollution exposure and LTL. Compared to the lowest quartile (Q1) of air pollutants, the estimated percentage changes of age-corrected LTL were -2.71% [95% confidence interval (CI): -3.78, -1.63] for SO<sub>2</sub>, -0.82% (95% CI: -1.87, 0.23) for NO<sub>2</sub>, -1.17% (95% CI: -2.23, -0.11) for NO<sub>x</sub>, and -0.47% (95% CI: -1.45, 0.53) for CO in the highest quartile groups (Q4). Decreasing trends in age-corrected LTL following the increase in PM<sub>2.5</sub> and PM<sub>10</sub> leveled off during high levels of air pollutants. Among participants with lower household income, lower educational attainment, and higher BMI, a stronger association was found between air pollution and LTL. Our findings suggest a negative association between air pollution and LTL and provide insights into the potential pathways linking air pollution to age-related diseases.</p>