Introduction Air pollution exposure is recognised to exacerbate cardiovascular diseases (CVD). This study aims to establish a localised Air Health Index (AHI) based on Huizhou City’s regional data, investigate its association with CVD mortality and assess the related health risks. Methods Data on atmospheric pollutants, meteorological conditions and CVD mortality (51 952 records) in Huizhou from 2015 to 2021 were collected. A generalised additive model was used to analyse the association between AHI and CVD mortality. Results A significant lagged association was observed between AHI and CVD mortality risk. For the optimal single-day lag, the relative risks for the total population, individuals aged ≥65 years, males and females were 1.007 (95% CI 1.002 to 1.011), 1.008 (95% CI 1.003 to 1.013), 1.008 (95% CI 1.003 to 1.014) and 1.009 (95% CI 1.003 to 1.015), respectively (all p<0.05). For the optimal cumulative lag, the corresponding relative risks were 1.012 (95% CI 1.005 to 1.019), 1.012 (95% CI 1.004 to 1.021), 1.012 (95% CI 1.004 to 1.019) and 1.011 (95% CI 1.001 to 1.021) (all p<0.05). Attributable fraction analysis showed that AHI accounted for 6.6% (95% CI 0.6% to 12.3%) of CVD mortality in the total population, with a higher burden among those aged ≥65 years (9.2%) and among females (9.8%) compared with males (3.5%). Conclusion The localised AHI developed in this study effectively captures the association between air pollution and CVD mortality in Huizhou, particularly among individuals aged ≥65 years. The attributable burden highlights its public health relevance and supports targeted interventions.
Qin et al. (Wed,) studied this question.