It is commonly believed that one’s lifestyle dictates the proportion of body fat and muscle mass. Proper nutrition and an active way of life are generally what is reflected in body composition scans, according to the majority of people and even many healthcare professionals.
Researchers observing older adults across five Spanish cities uncovered an additional, previously unmeasured variable after conducting necessary calculations: air pollution.
The findings were produced by a research team helmed by Ariadna Curto, an environmental epidemiologist at the Balearic Islands Health Research Institute (IdISBa). The study’s results are featured in the journal Diabetes Care.
Air pollution metrics were incorporated into the PREDIMED-Plus study, a Spanish initiative initially designed to ascertain whether a Mediterranean diet and physical activity could slow the progression of cardiovascular disease in the elderly.
The trial involved 1,454 participants aged between 55 and 75, all of whom were overweight and presented with metabolic syndrome—a combination characterized by elevated blood sugar, high blood pressure, and unhealthy cholesterol levels.
These volunteers resided in five Spanish urban centers: Pamplona, León, Palma, Reus, and Barcelona. Barcelona registered the highest levels of air contamination.
The investigators assessed air pollution exposure pertinent to each participant’s home address, focusing on three ubiquitous urban pollutants: fine particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide, and black carbon. A significant source of black carbon pollution is diesel engines.
Next, they implemented a step often omitted in typical environmental pollution studies. Rather than simply weighing the volunteers, the team employed densitometry (DXA scanning), the same imaging technique used to assess bone mineral density.
Each individual underwent a scan at the study’s commencement, again after one year, and then finally after three years. This scanning technique allows for the differentiation and localization of fat tissue versus muscle tissue.
Measurable alterations correlated with air pollution were observed both at the one-year mark and the three-year follow-up.
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