Association of benzene exposure and atrial fibrillation in a national cohort: The modifying effect of genetic susceptibility

作者：Jingjia Liang, Yiyi Wang, Zhixi Lu, Guangfeng Long, Bingjian Wang, Cheng Xu · 发表于：Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.1016/j.ecoenv.2025.118645 · 被引用次数：1 · 研究领域：Carcinogens and Genotoxicity Assessment、Alcohol Consumption and Health Effects、Folate and B Vitamins Research

BACKGROUND: Exposure to benzene poses significant health risks, with cardiovascular toxicity emerging as a primary adverse effect. However, the exact influence of benzene on the development of atrial fibrillation (AF) remains unclear. The occurrence of AF is influenced by environmental factors and genetic factors that should not be overlooked. Previous studies have found an association between accelerated biological aging and benzene and AF. This study explored the effects of benzene exposure on the risk of incident AF later in life, examining the interaction with genetic susceptibility and the mediating role of accelerated biological aging. METHODS: From 2006 to 2010, 432,522 participants in the UK Biobank who were free of cardiovascular disease at baseline were included. The annual average benzene concentrations during the follow-up period were assessed using air dispersion models. AF patients were identified using the International Classification of Diseases 10th Revision (ICD-10) code. Cox proportional hazard models were employed to explore the association between benzene exposure and incident AF. Restricted cubic spline models were utilized to estimate the exposureresponse relationships. The polygenic risk score (PRS) for AF was used to examine the gene-environment interactions related to AF risk. RESULTS: Exposure to benzene significantly increased the risk of AF, with the hazard ratio (95 % confidence interval) for a standard deviation increase in benzene concentration...