Association Between Air Pollution and Osteoporosis with High-Risk Populations: A Narrative Review

Air pollution has been raised as a novel risk factor for osteoporosis, which impose a huge burden on both individuals and society. Thus, summarizing and discussing previous results on the association between ambient air pollution and osteoporosis can be informative in synthesizing the current evidence and improving relevant action plans.

Recent studies reported that long-term exposure to ambient air pollution is associated with an increased risk of osteoporosis and related outcomes; however, the studied populations, air pollutants, areas, and results on high-risk populations are heterogeneous. Among air pollutants, long-term exposure to PM_2.5 showed an association with osteoporosis or osteoporosis-related fracture in general.

Recent scientific evidence indicates that ambient air pollution is a potential risk factor for osteoporosis and related outcomes. Further research is warranted on how air pollution impacts these outcomes including for high-risk populations with consistent effect modifiers, and analytic methodologies.