Stroke; a journal of cerebral circulation
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Background and Purpose- Evidence on the effects of coarse particulate matter (PM10-2.5) on ischemic stroke is limited and inconsistent. We evaluated the acute effects of PM10-2.5 exposure on hospital admissions for ischemic stroke in China. Methods- We conducted a national time-series analysis of associations between daily PM10-2.5 concentrations and daily hospital admissions for ischemic stroke in China between January 2014 and December 2016. ⋯ The exposure-response relationship was approximately linear, with a moderate response at lower levels (<200 μg/m3) and a steeper response at higher levels. The association was stronger in cities with lower PM10-2.5 concentrations, higher temperatures, or higher relative humidity. Conclusions- This nationwide study provides robust evidence of the short-term association between exposure to PM10-2.5 and increased hospital admissions for ischemic stroke and supports the hypothesis that the association differs by city characteristics.