A new study by the Barcelona Institute of Global Health, whose results were published in the journal JAMA Network Open, confirmed that poor air quality is associated with low bone density among the elderly.
"The results of this study contribute as a first step towards resolving the relationship between air pollution and bone health," says lead researcher Professor Ottavio Razanjani.
The researchers analyzed data on bone health and living conditions for 3,717 participants, including 1,711 women, from 28 villages near Hyderabad in India.
Carbon and fine particles
The researchers used estimates of external exposure to air pollution, to indicate the presence of carbon and fine particles in the air, which come, for example, from car exhaust. These molecules remain airborne for a long time and infiltrate the human body through the lungs.
The researchers also took into account data, collected through self-help efforts, through questionnaires of participants about the type of fuel they use when cooking.
The study found that individuals, who often suffered from ambient air pollution, especially by micro-particles, also appeared to be those with low bone mass.
Ransani assumes that the relationship between poor air quality and poor bone health can be due to "oxidative stress and infections caused by air pollution".
The researchers also noted that the exposure of the participants to airborne fine particles is 32.8 micrograms per cubic meter per year, which far exceeds the limits recommended by the World Health Organization, which amounts to 10 micrograms per cubic meter.
In rich and poor countries
"The results of the study add to a set of evidence that indicates particulate air pollution negatively affects bone health across a wide range of levels of air pollution, including levels in high-income and low- and middle-income countries," says researcher participating in the study, Dr. Catherine Ton. Income. "