Circulating cardiometabolic metabolite profiles associated with ambient air pollution and atrial fibrillation risk: a prospective cohort study
Authors' conclusion
Air pollution-related metabolic signature was independently associated with AF risk and mediated a significant portion of pollution's arrhythmogenic effects. These findings provide novel insights into biological mechanisms linking environmental exposures to AF.
Study context
- Population
- UK Biobank participants without baseline atrial fibrillation (AF); air pollution score from PM2.5, PM10, NO2, NOx
- Participants
- 227,324 participants
- Exposure
- Air pollution-related metabolic signature and AF risk
- Outcome
- Incident AF
Methodological detailsNMR metabolomics, elastic net regression, Cox models, mediation analysis
- NMR metabolomics
- Elastic net regression
- Cox models
- Mediation analysis
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
AF risk per SD increase in pollution-related metabolic signature
HR per SD increase in metabolic signature (18% higher AF risk), 95% CI 1.03-1.35
1.18
Proportion of air pollution–AF association mediated by metabolic profile; lipoprotein parameters strongest mediators
15.45%
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Incident AF during follow-up
- Participants who developed AF
- 16,235 (7.14%)
Composition of 65-metabolite pollution-related signature
- Lipoprotein lipid concentrations
- 32.31%
- Lipoprotein subclasses
- 15.38%
- Fatty acids
- 13.85%
- Amino acids
- 12.31%
Original publication
Circulating cardiometabolic metabolite profiles associated with ambient air pollution and atrial fibrillation risk: a prospective cohort study. Cardiovasc Diabetol. Published 21 March 2026. doi:10.
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