Short-, Mid-, and Long-Term Associations Between PM2.5 and Stroke Incidence in Taiwan

OBJECTIVE To investigate the association between the risk of stroke and exposure to particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 μm (PM2.5) over various exposure periods. METHODS This was a nationwide population-based case-control study in which 10,035 incident patients with a primary diagnosis of ischemic stroke each were matched with two randomly selected controls for sex, age, Charlson Comorbidity Index, year of stroke diagnosis, and level of urbanization. Multiple logistic models adjusted for potential confounders were used to assess the association of PM2.5 with ischemic stroke incidence. RESULTS There were significant short-term, medium-term, and long-term relationships between PM2.5 exposure and ischemic stroke incidence. CONCLUSIONS This study supports existing evidence that PM2.5 should be considered a risk factor for ischemic stroke.