SEOUL: Fine particulate matter in Seoul is thought to have driven up the mortality rate for ischemic heart disease in the city by several thousand between 2016 and 2020, a recent study showed.
The study, led by Professor Hong Yun-chul of Seoul National University's Institute of Environmental Medicine, investigated the effects of fine particulate matter on this particular heart disease, looking at cases in the five-year span. It was found that for individuals aged 25 and up, an estimated 2,861 excess deaths from ischemic heart disease can be attributed to fine particulate matter, defined by particles that are 2.5 microns or less in diameter (PM 2.5).
The total number of IHD deaths from 2016 to 2020 was 10,971 for this particular age group. The PM 2.5 concentration in the capital city during this period was 23.5 micrograms per cubic metre, steadily decreasing from 25.9 ㎍/m³ in 2016 to 20.3 ㎍/m³ in 2020.
Both the lowest annual figure and the average figure exceeded the 15 ㎍/m³ standard set by the Ministry of Environment, indicating a severe health issue.
Excess deaths were observed across the general population, but were more severe among older groups. Of the excess IHD deaths attributed to PM2.5 exposure, 2,436 occurred in those aged 45 and above, and 1,881 in those aged 65 and above.
The excess IHD death rates per 100,000 people were estimated at 38.6 for those aged 25 and above, 56.2 for those aged 45 and above, and 139.8 for those aged 65 and above.
Researchers estimated that just by lowering the PM 2.5 level to 15 ㎍/m³, 837 IHD deaths could be avoided in the population aged 25 and up and IHD deaths in older adults could be avoided at a correspondingly higher rate.
"Our findings indicate that reducing ambient PM 2.5 concentrations could lead to substantial reductions in IHD-related mortality. Given the projected growth of the aging population, proactive air quality interventions may yield increasingly important public health benefits in the future," the researchers concluded.
The study titled "Ischemic heart disease mortality due to fine particulate matter in Seoul between 2016 and 2020," was published last month in BMC Public Health, an open-access, peer-reviewed international journal on the epidemiology of diseases and various aspects of public health. - The Korea Herald/ANN
