The Novel Relationship between Urban Air Pollution and Epilepsy: A Time Series Study

Background and purpose The data concerning the association between environmental pollution and epilepsy attacks are limited. The aim of this study was to explore the association between acute air pollution exposure and epilepsy attack. Methods A hospital record-based study was carried out in Xi'an, a heavily-polluted metropolis in China. Daily baseline data were obtained. Time-series Poisson regression models were applied to analyze the association between air pollution and epilepsy. Results A 10 mu g/m(3) increase of NO2, SO2, and O-3 concentrations corresponded to 3.17% (95%Cl: 1.41%, 4.93%), 3.55% (95% Cl: 1.93%, 5.18%), and -0.84% (95% Cl: -1.58%, 0.09%) increase in outpatient-visits for epilepsy on the concurrent days, which were significantly influenced by sex and age. The effects of NO2 and SO2 would be stronger when adjusted for PM2.5. As for O-3, a -1.14% (95%Cl: -1.90%, -0.39%) decrease was evidenced when adjusted for NO2. The lag models showed that the most significant effects were evidenced on concurrent days. Conclusions We discovered previously undocumented relationships between short-term air pollution exposure and epilepsy: while NO2 and SO2 were positively associated with outpatient-visits of epilepsy, O-3 might be associated with reduced risk.