Functional medicine perspectives on the impact of particulate matter and environmental change on energy metabolism

As awareness of the public health significance of particulate matter (PM) continues to spread, various epidemiological studies have revealed associations between PM exposure and respiratory diseases, cardiovascular complications, neurological disorders, systemic inflammatory responses, some cancer incidence, and mortality. Climate changes alter the composition and concentration of air pollutants and can increase morbidity rates for various diseases through interactions with PM. The importance of understanding how PM and climate changes affect energy metabolism lies in their potential to act as catalysts that exacerbate unnoticed or unrecognized health vulnerabilities. From a functional medicine perspective, it is important to understand these interactions regarding particle aging, accumulation in the mitochondrial matrix, and damage to the blood-brain barrier. Furthermore, it is important to keep in mind that the environment, PM, and viral infections can interact to affect the human health. The clinical implications of how PM and climate changes impact energy metabolism can become an important aspect of functional medicine healthcare to improve quality of life and prevent disease in daily life.