Abstract

Background Most studies of long-term exposure to outdoor fine particulate matter (PM5) and cardiovascular disease are from high-income countries with relatively low PM25 concentrations. It is unclear whether risks are similar in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) and how outdoor PM contributes to the global burden of cardiovascular disease. In our analysis of the Prospective Urban and Rural Epidemiology (PURE) study, we aimed to investigate the association between long-term exposure to come, middle-income, and low-income countries.