Environmental Stressors and Older Adult Morbidity: Initial Findings from University Medical Centre Maribor as Part of a Slovenian – Turkish Bilateral Study

Key findings from this study

• The study found that respiratory morbidity in older adults showed significant associations with nitrogen dioxide exposure, particularly during cold seasons, whereas cardiovascular disease prevalence remained predominantly age-driven.
• The researchers demonstrate that higher ambient temperature and humidity exerted protective effects on respiratory outcomes among emergency department patients.
• The authors report that short-term environmental stressors disproportionately affected respiratory health compared to cardiovascular health in this older adult population.

Overview

This retrospective observational study examined associations between environmental stressors and morbidity in older adults presenting to an emergency department in Slovenia. The analysis included 4,870 visits during 2024 among adults aged 65 years and older. Daily meteorological conditions and air pollution concentrations (NO₂, PM₂.₅, PM₁₀, benzene) were linked to emergency department diagnoses coded by ICD-10. Multivariable regression models adjusted for age, sex, and season quantified the relationship between environmental exposures and cardiovascular and respiratory outcomes.

Methods and approach

The study leveraged emergency department records from University Medical Centre Maribor to identify cases of cardiovascular and respiratory morbidity in older adults. Environmental exposure data comprised daily measurements of meteorological variables and pollutant concentrations. Multivariable regression modeling incorporated demographic covariates and seasonal adjustment. The analytical approach enabled examination of short-term associations between air quality metrics and pollutant levels with acute health outcomes in this Central European population.

Results

Cardiovascular disease prevalence correlated primarily with advancing age, showing limited environmental sensitivity. Respiratory morbidity demonstrated pronounced seasonal variation and significant positive associations with NO₂ exposure, particularly during colder months. Higher ambient temperature and humidity exerted protective effects on respiratory outcomes. The differential susceptibility of respiratory versus cardiovascular endpoints to environmental stressors emerged as a central finding.

Implications

Environmental stressors, particularly nitrogen dioxide pollution, constitute important modifiable risk factors for respiratory morbidity in older adults. The seasonality of respiratory associations suggests mechanisms involving both physiological responses to temperature changes and seasonal variations in pollutant concentrations and atmospheric conditions. Targeted public health interventions during winter months may reduce respiratory morbidity burden in this vulnerable population.

The findings underscore the need for integrated air quality and public health monitoring systems in Central European healthcare settings. Older adults warrant designation as a priority population for exposure reduction strategies. Longitudinal surveillance linking environmental data with health outcomes could inform evidence-based policy approaches.

Comparative analyses across countries with differing climates and pollution profiles would advance understanding of environmental determinants specific to Central European contexts. Bilateral studies such as this framework facilitate identification of shared environmental health challenges and region-appropriate intervention strategies.

Scope and limitations

This summary is based on the study abstract and available metadata. It does not include a full analysis of the complete paper, supplementary materials, or underlying datasets unless explicitly stated. Findings should be interpreted in the context of the original publication.