Short-term effects of ambient fine particulate air pollution on inpatient visits for myocardial infarction in Beijing, China.

The effects of ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) on the incidence of myocardial infarction have been reported, but little is known about this association in China. We conducted a time-series study of ambient PM2.5 concentrations and inpatient visits for myocardial infarction in Beijing. A generalized additive model with a Poisson link was applied to estimate the percentage change in inpatient visits for myocardial infarction following a 10-μg/m3 increase in PM2.5 concentrations. A total of 15,432 inpatient visits for myocardial infarction were identified between January 1, 2010, and June 30, 2012. A 10-μg/m3 increase in PM2.5 concentrations was associated with a 0.46% (P ≤ 0.001) increase in daily inpatient visits for myocardial infarction. Males were more sensitive to the adverse effects, and the association was more significant during the warm season (May through October). Short-term exposure to PM2.5 was associated with increased risk of inpatient visits for myocardial infarction in Beijing. The findings may be useful in developing more accurate targeted interventions.