Fine dust exposure raises hypercholesterolemia risk by about 20%, study warns

Prolonged exposure to fine dust raises LDL cholesterol levels and can increase the risk of hypercholesterolemia by around 20%, according to new research.

A research team led by professors Lee Won-cheol and Kim Hyun-il of the Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine at Kangbuk Samsung Hospital analyzed the link between fine dust exposure and hypercholesterolemia among 14,867 adults using data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted between 2016 and 2022, the team said Wednesday.

Fine dust has long been identified as a risk factor for respiratory conditions such as asthma and lung disease.

However, evidence on its specific effects on lipid metabolism in the blood had been limited.

The research team used air quality monitoring data from the Ministry of Environment to assess fine dust and ultrafine dust exposure by residential area, then evaluated the risk of developing related conditions. The risk of hypercholesterolemia rose by 14.3 percent after one day of fine dust exposure, 22.8 percent after six months and 16.6 percent after five years.

Ultrafine dust showed similar results. The risk of hypercholesterolemia increased by 9.7 percent after one day of exposure, 16.6 percent after six months and about 12.5 percent after five years.

"Even at everyday levels of fine dust exposure, the risk of hypercholesterolemia can rise by 20 percent," said Kim Hyun-il, a professor in the Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine at Kangbuk Samsung Hospital. "Fine dust can trigger chronic oxidative stress and disrupt lipid metabolism in the body. Vulnerable populations should avoid outdoor activities and wear masks on days when fine dust concentrations are high."

Meanwhile, research and experiments continue to shed light on the harmful effects of fine dust.

Recent animal studies have also found that longer periods of fine dust exposure can worsen overall eye health and heighten systemic allergic immune responses.

A research team led by professors Song Jong-seok and Kim Woo-jin of the Department of Ophthalmology at Korea University Guro Hospital announced Aug. 11 that they had confirmed these findings after analyzing the effects of air pollutants — including fine dust and carbon black — on eye health.

While previous studies had shown that fine dust and carbon black can cause reduced tear production, corneal damage and inflammation of the ocular surface, most had focused on short-term exposure, leaving the effects of repeated long-term exposure unclear.

The research divided laboratory mice into a normal control group and groups exposed to carbon black for one day, five days and four weeks, then compared eye damage, inflammatory responses and blood immune reactions across the groups.

The results showed that ocular surface damage became more pronounced as the duration of carbon black exposure increased.

"In environments where people are continuously exposed to carbonaceous particles such as fine dust, prevention and management for eye health becomes all the more important," Song said.