Associations of the prevalence of chronic respiratory diseases and mortality with blood furan levels: a population-based study.

Background: Few studies have explored the role of furan exposure plays in chronic respiratory diseases and mortality.

Objective: To access the relationship of furan exposure to chronic respiratory diseases and mortality.

Methods: This study involves 5,261 adults over 20 years old from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2007-2012. Blood furan levels were employed to quantify furan exposure. Multinomial survey-weighted regressions were utilized to analyze the associations between furan exposure and the prevalence of asthma alone, COPD alone, and ACO. Multiple Cox regression was employed to evaluate the association between furan exposure and all-cause and respiratory mortality.

Results: After adjusting for covariates, log10-transformed blood furan levels (LBFL) were independently associated with an increased risk of the prevalence of asthma alone, COPD alone, and ACO (aOR = 2.086, 95% CI = 1.005 - 4.332, P = 0.049; aOR = 6.503, 95% CI = 3.471 - 12.185, P < 0.001; aOR = 10.739, 95% CI = 2.250 - 51.246, P = 0.003). For every one-unit increase in the LBFL, the odds of asthma were 1.086 higher, COPD were 5.503 higher, ACO were 9.739 higher. Longitudinally, LBFL were positively correlated with all-cause and respiratory mortality (HR = 1.997, 95% CI = 1.015 - 3.931, P = 0.045; HR = 4.979, 95% CI = 1.053 - 23.541, P = 0.043).

Conclusions: Exposure to furan revealed a positive association with greater odds of asthma, COPD, and ACO. An elevated blood furan also is associated with increased all-cause and respiratory mortality.