(Environmental Health Perspectives) The study looked at the effects of long-term exposure to low levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) on all-cause mortality in Medicare beneficiaries in the southeastern US. The study found that about 71% of the beneficiaries were always exposed to low levels of NO2 over the study period. The results showed that long-term exposure to low levels of NO2 was associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality. White, female, and urban-dwelling beneficiaries were found to be more vulnerable to the effects of NO2 exposure. The study highlights the importance of reducing NO2 emissions for the health benefits of older adults.
Qian, Y., Li, H., Rosenberg, A., Li, Q., Sarnat, J., Papatheodorou, S., Schwartz, J., Liang, D., Liu, Y., Liu, P., Shi, L., (2021) Long-Term Exposure to Low-Level NO2 and Mortality among the Elderly Population in the Southeastern United States. Environmental Health Perspectives, Vol 129, No. 12. https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/doi/full/10.1289/EHP9044