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Approved Research

Association of environmental pollution with bone loss over time, osteoporosis and bone fracture risk.

Principal Investigator: Professor Cuiqing Liu
Approved Research ID: 59186
Approval date: August 25th 2020

Lay summary

Emerging evidence indicated associations between air pollution exposure and adverse cardiovascular and respiratory health effects. However, associations between environmental pollution (nitrogen dioxide, particulate matter air pollution or road traffic noise) and bone loss, osteoporosis and fracture are not well understood. Research is therefore required to further investigate the effects of environmental pollution (if any) on skeletal health. Identification of risk and protective factors is important to both science and policy decision given the high health care costs related to osteoporosis and fracture morbidity.

Aims:

1 To determine whether exposure to environmental pollution (nitrogen dioxide, particulate matter air pollution or road traffic noise) is associated with bone loss, and/or increased odds of having an osteoporosis or fracture.

2 To determine whether the observed associations from Aim 1 vary on other factors including gender, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, age, BMI, smoking status, and others.

3 To identify BMD in different sites (heel, arm, femur and others) to examine the susceptibility of different bone sites to the exposure of environmental pollution.

4 To identify osteoporosis or fracture that might be associated with exposure to environmental pollution.

5 To identify the vulnerable populations (age, sex, ethnicity and others) of osteoporosis or fracture to air pollution exposure.

The estimated project duration is 2 years.