Chronic and infectious respiratory mortality and short-term exposures to four types of pollen taxa in older adults in Michigan, 2006-2017
Abstract Introduction Levels of plant-based aeroallergens are rising as growing seasons lengthen and intensify with anthropogenic climate change. Increased exposure to pollens could increase risk for mortality from respiratory causes, particularly among older adults. We determined short-term, lag as...
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2025-01-01
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-21386-3 |
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| author | Peter S. Larson Allison L. Steiner Marie S. O’Neill Alan P. Baptist Carina J. Gronlund |
| author_facet | Peter S. Larson Allison L. Steiner Marie S. O’Neill Alan P. Baptist Carina J. Gronlund |
| author_sort | Peter S. Larson |
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| description | Abstract Introduction Levels of plant-based aeroallergens are rising as growing seasons lengthen and intensify with anthropogenic climate change. Increased exposure to pollens could increase risk for mortality from respiratory causes, particularly among older adults. We determined short-term, lag associations of four species classes of pollen (ragweed, deciduous trees, grass pollen and evergreen trees) with respiratory mortality (all cause, chronic and infectious related) in Michigan, USA. Methods We obtained records for all Michigan deaths from 2006-2017 from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS). Deaths from infectious and chronic respiratory-related causes were selected using International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) codes. Pollen data were obtained from a prognostic model of daily pollen concentrations at 25 km resolution. Case-crossover models with distributed lag non-linear crossbases for pollen were used to estimate associations between lags of daily pollen concentrations with mortality and to explore effect modification by sex and racial groups. Results 127,163 deaths were included in the study. Cumulative daily high concentrations (90th percentile) of deciduous broadleaf, grass and ragweed were associated with all-cause respiratory mortality at early lags with e.g., a 1.81 times higher risk of all respiratory deaths at cumulative 7 day lag exposure to deciduous broadleaf pollen at the 90th percentile (95% confidence interval: 1.04, 3.15). Exposure to high concentrations of grass and ragweed pollens was associated with increased risk for death from chronic respiratory causes. No association was found for any pollen species with death from infectious respiratory causes though there was a positive but non-significant association of exposure to deciduous broadleaf and ragweed pollens. We found no evidence to suggest effect modification by race or sex. Conclusions Modelled exposures to high concentrations of pollen taxa were associated with increased all-cause and chronic respiratory mortality among older adults. Results suggest that pollen exposure may become more important to respiratory mortality as the temperatures increase and pollen seasons lengthen. |
| format | Article |
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| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1471-2458 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
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| series | BMC Public Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-da10acebcac946bd87711d501f1ba8822025-01-19T12:41:47ZengBMCBMC Public Health1471-24582025-01-0125111210.1186/s12889-025-21386-3Chronic and infectious respiratory mortality and short-term exposures to four types of pollen taxa in older adults in Michigan, 2006-2017Peter S. Larson0Allison L. Steiner1Marie S. O’Neill2Alan P. Baptist3Carina J. Gronlund4Social Environment and Health Program, Institute for Social Research, University of MichiganClimate and Space Sciences and Engineering, University of MichiganDepartment of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of MichiganDivision of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Henry Ford HealthSocial Environment and Health Program, Institute for Social Research, University of MichiganAbstract Introduction Levels of plant-based aeroallergens are rising as growing seasons lengthen and intensify with anthropogenic climate change. Increased exposure to pollens could increase risk for mortality from respiratory causes, particularly among older adults. We determined short-term, lag associations of four species classes of pollen (ragweed, deciduous trees, grass pollen and evergreen trees) with respiratory mortality (all cause, chronic and infectious related) in Michigan, USA. Methods We obtained records for all Michigan deaths from 2006-2017 from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS). Deaths from infectious and chronic respiratory-related causes were selected using International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) codes. Pollen data were obtained from a prognostic model of daily pollen concentrations at 25 km resolution. Case-crossover models with distributed lag non-linear crossbases for pollen were used to estimate associations between lags of daily pollen concentrations with mortality and to explore effect modification by sex and racial groups. Results 127,163 deaths were included in the study. Cumulative daily high concentrations (90th percentile) of deciduous broadleaf, grass and ragweed were associated with all-cause respiratory mortality at early lags with e.g., a 1.81 times higher risk of all respiratory deaths at cumulative 7 day lag exposure to deciduous broadleaf pollen at the 90th percentile (95% confidence interval: 1.04, 3.15). Exposure to high concentrations of grass and ragweed pollens was associated with increased risk for death from chronic respiratory causes. No association was found for any pollen species with death from infectious respiratory causes though there was a positive but non-significant association of exposure to deciduous broadleaf and ragweed pollens. We found no evidence to suggest effect modification by race or sex. Conclusions Modelled exposures to high concentrations of pollen taxa were associated with increased all-cause and chronic respiratory mortality among older adults. Results suggest that pollen exposure may become more important to respiratory mortality as the temperatures increase and pollen seasons lengthen.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-21386-3Respiratory mortalityPollenEnvironmental healthRespiratory health |
| spellingShingle | Peter S. Larson Allison L. Steiner Marie S. O’Neill Alan P. Baptist Carina J. Gronlund Chronic and infectious respiratory mortality and short-term exposures to four types of pollen taxa in older adults in Michigan, 2006-2017 BMC Public Health Respiratory mortality Pollen Environmental health Respiratory health |
| title | Chronic and infectious respiratory mortality and short-term exposures to four types of pollen taxa in older adults in Michigan, 2006-2017 |
| title_full | Chronic and infectious respiratory mortality and short-term exposures to four types of pollen taxa in older adults in Michigan, 2006-2017 |
| title_fullStr | Chronic and infectious respiratory mortality and short-term exposures to four types of pollen taxa in older adults in Michigan, 2006-2017 |
| title_full_unstemmed | Chronic and infectious respiratory mortality and short-term exposures to four types of pollen taxa in older adults in Michigan, 2006-2017 |
| title_short | Chronic and infectious respiratory mortality and short-term exposures to four types of pollen taxa in older adults in Michigan, 2006-2017 |
| title_sort | chronic and infectious respiratory mortality and short term exposures to four types of pollen taxa in older adults in michigan 2006 2017 |
| topic | Respiratory mortality Pollen Environmental health Respiratory health |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-21386-3 |
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