A decade of exposure: Long-term air pollution and its impact on osteoarthritis: A nationwide cohort study in Taiwan
Authors' conclusion
We observed a significant association between prolonged exposure to CO, PM₁₀, and NO₂ and increased OA risk.
Study context
- Population
- Adults in Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database with complete 10-year cumulative air pollution exposure data, 1993–201358,369 incident osteoarthritis (OA) cases
- Participants
- 526,630 adults
- Exposure
- Per 1 SD increase in 10-year cumulative exposure to CO, PM₁₀ and NO₂
- Outcome
- Incident OA
Methodological detailsnationwide, Cox proportional hazards models, hazard ratios (HRs) per SD increase in pollutant exposure
- Nationwide
- Cox proportional hazards models
- HRs per SD increase in pollutant exposure
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Incident OA, HR per 1 SD increase in exposure
Hazard ratio (95% CI)P value
CO (per 1 SD increase)
1.83(1.81–1.84)
all p < 0.001PM₁₀ (per 1 SD increase)
1.58(1.56–1.60)
all p < 0.001NO₂ (per 1 SD increase)
1.62(1.61–1.64)
all p < 0.001Per 1 SD increase, as printed
- OA incidence during follow-up
- 11.08%
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
- Associations robust across sex subgroups and consistent dose-response relationships
Original publication
A decade of exposure: Long-term air pollution and its impact on osteoarthritis: A nationwide cohort study in Taiwan. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. Published 9 May 2025. doi:10.
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