Adult Cardiopulmonary Mortality and Indoor Air Pollution: A 10-Year Retrospective Cohort Study in a Low-Income Rural Setting

BACKGROUND: Indoor air pollution (IAP) due to solid fuel use is a major risk factor of respiratory and cardiovascular mortality and morbidity. Rural Matlab in Bangladesh has been partly supplied with natural gas since the early 1990s, which offered a natural experiment to investigate the long-term impact of IAP on cardiopulmonary mortality. OBJECTIVE: This study sought to compare adult cardiopulmonary mortality in relation to household fuel type as a surrogate for exposure to indoor air pollution. STUDY DESIGN: This was a retrospective cohort study. We identified all households in 11 villages in Matlab, Bangladesh, and categorized them as either supplied with natural gas or using solid fuel for cooking or heating since January 1, 2001. Cause-specific mortality data including cardiopulmonary…