Figure 3.

Associations of air pollutants with morbidity transitions among 410,494 participants, stratified by potential modifiers.

(a) Associations of PM_2.5 with transition from baseline to FCMD;

(b) Associations of NO₂ with transition from baseline to FCMD;

(c) Associations of PM_2.5 with transition from FCMD to CMM;

(d) Associations of NO₂ with transition from FCMD to CMM.

Abbreviation: HR, hazard ratios; CI, confidence interval; PM_2.5, particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤ 2.5 µm; NO₂: nitrogen dioxide; FCMD, first cardiometabolic disease; CMM, cardiometabolic multimorbidity.

Associations were expressed as HR (95% CI) per interquartile range increase in PM_2.5 (1.3 μg/m³) and NO₂ (9.9 μg/m³).

P-value < 0.05 (Z-test) indicated significant modifications.

Cardiometabolic diseases included type 2 diabetes, ischemic heart disease and stroke. CMM was defined as the occurrence of at least two of the above-mentioned diseases.

Models were adjusted for age, sex, race, education, Townsend Deprivation Index and recruitment centers.