Association between air pollution and menstrual disorder outpatient visits: A time-series analysis

Challenges of Air Pollution and Health in East Asia

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Air pollution has been a serious environmental and public health issue worldwide, particularly in Asian countries. There have been significant increases in epidemiological studies on fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and ozone pollution in East Asia, and an in-depth review of epidemiological evidence is urgent. Thus, we carried out a systematic review of the epidemiological research on PM2.5 and ozone pollution in East Asia released in recent years.

RECENT FINDINGS

Recent studies have indicated that PM2.5 and ozone are the most detrimental air pollutants to human health, resulting in substantial disease burdens for Asian populations. Many epidemiological studies of PM2.5 and ozone have been mainly performed in three East Asian countries (China, Japan, and South Korea). We derived the following summary findings: (1) both short-term and long-term exposure to PM2.5 and ozone could raise the risks of mortality and morbidity, emphasizing the need for continuing improvements in air quality in East Asia; (2) the long-term associations between PM2.5 and mortality in East Asia are comparable to those observed in Europe and North America, whereas the short-term associations are relatively smaller in magnitude; and (3) further cohort and intervention studies are required to yield robust and precise evidence that can promote evidence-based policymaking in East Asia. This updated review presented an outline of the health impacts of PM2.5 and ozone in East Asia, which may be beneficial for the development of future regulatory policies and standards, as well as for designing subsequent investigations.

Air pollution and human health: a phenome-wide association study

OBJECTIVES

To explore the associations of long-term exposure to air pollution with onset of all human health conditions.

DESIGN

Prospective phenome-wide association study.

SETTING

Denmark.

PARTICIPANTS

All Danish residents aged ≥30 years on 1 January 2000 were included (N=3 323 612). After exclusion of individuals with missing geocoded residential addresses, 3 111 988 participants were available for the statistical analyses.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE

First registered diagnosis of every health condition according to the International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision, from 2000 to 2017.

RESULTS

Long-term exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) were both positively associated with the onset of more than 700 health conditions (ie, >80% of the registered health conditions) after correction for multiple testing, while the remaining associations were inverse or insignificant. As regards the most common health conditions, PM2.5 and NO2 were strongest positively associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (PM2.5: HR 1.06 (95% CI 1.05 to 1.07) per 1 IQR increase in exposure level; NO2: 1.14 (95% CI 1.12 to 1.15)), type 2 diabetes (PM2.5: 1.06 (95% CI 1.05 to 1.06); NO2: 1.12 (95% CI 1.10 to 1.13)) and ischaemic heart disease (PM2.5: 1.05 (95% CI 1.04 to 1.05); NO2: 1.11 (95% CI 1.09 to 1.12)). Furthermore, PM2.5 and NO2 were both positively associated with so far unexplored, but highly prevalent outcomes relevant to public health, including senile cataract, hearing loss and urinary tract infection.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings of this study suggest that air pollution has a more extensive impact on human health than previously known. However, as this study is the first of its kind to investigate the associations of long-term exposure to air pollution with onset of all human health conditions, further research is needed to replicate the study findings.

Short-term association between air pollution and daily genitourinary disorder admissions in Lanzhou, China

The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between short-term exposure to ambient air pollution and the number of daily hospital admissions for genitourinary disorders in Lanzhou. Hospital admission data and air pollutants, including PM2.5, PM10, SO2, NO2, O38h and CO, were obtained from the period 2013 to 2020. A generalized additive model (GAM) combined with distribution lag nonlinear model (DLNM) based on quasi-Poisson distribution was used by the controlling for trends, weather, weekdays and holidays. Short-term exposure to PM2.5, NO2 and CO increased the risk of genitourinary disorder admissions with RR of 1.0096 (95% CI 1.0002-1.0190), 1.0255 (95% CI 1.0123-1.0389) and 1.0686 (95% CI 1.0083-1.1326), respectively. PM10, O38h and SO2 have no significant effect on genitourinary disorders. PM2.5 and NO2 are more strongly correlated in female and ≥ 65 years patients. CO is more strongly correlated in male and < 65 years patients. PM2.5, NO2 and CO are risk factors for genitourinary morbidity, and public health interventions should be strengthened to protect vulnerable populations.

Association between air temperature and risk of hospitalization for genitourinary disorders: An environmental epidemiological study in Lanzhou, China

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between air temperature and the risk of hospitalization for genitourinary disorders.

METHODS

Distributed lag non-linear models (DLNM) were used to estimate the association between air temperature and the risk of hospitalization for genitourinary disorders, with subgroup analysis by gender and age to identify the susceptible population of temperature-sensitive genitourinary system diseases.

RESULTS

Low mean temperature (MT) (RR = 2.001, 95% CI: 1.856~2.159), high MT (RR = 2.884, 95% CI: 2.621~3.173) and low diurnal temperature range (DTR) (RR = 1.619, 95% CI: 1.508~1.737) were all associated with the increased risk of hospitalization for genitourinary disorders in the total population analysis, and the high MT effect was stronger than the low MT effect. Subgroup analysis found that high MT was more strongly correlated in male (RR = 2.998, 95% CI: 2.623~3.427) and those <65 years (RR = 3.003, 95% CI: 2.670~3.344), and low DTR was more strongly correlated in female (RR = 1.669, 95% CI: 1.510~1.846) and those <65 years (RR = 1.643, 95% CI: 1.518~1.780).

CONCLUSIONS

The effect of high MT on the risk of hospitalization for genitourinary disorders is more significant than that of low MT. DTR was independently associated with the risk of hospitalization for genitourinary disorders.

Spatial effects of air pollution on the economic burden of disease: implications of health and environment crisis in a post-COVID-19 world

Background

Air pollution has been identified as related to the diseases of susceptible population, but the spatial heterogeneity of its economic burden and its determinants are rarely investigated. The issue is of great policy significance, especially after the epidemic of COVID-19, when human are facing the joint crisis of health and environment, and some areas is prone to falling into poverty.

Methods

The geographical detector was adopted to study the spatial distribution characteristics of the incidence of catastrophic health expenditure (ICHE) for older adults in 100 rural areas in China at the prefecture-city level. The health factors, sociological factors, policy factors and environmental factors and their interactions are identified.

Results

First, most health service factors had strong explanatory power for ICHE whether it interacts with air pollution. Second, 50 single-factor high-risk areas of ICHE were found in the study, but at the same time, there were 21 areas dominated by multiple factors.

Conclusion

The different contributions and synergy among the factors constitute the complex mechanism of factors and catastrophic health expenditure. Moreover, during this process, air pollution aggravates the contribution of health service factors toward ICHE. In addition, the leading factors of ICHE are different among regions. At the end, this paper also puts forward some policy suggestions from the perspective of health and environment crisis in the post-COVID-19 world: environmental protection policies should be combined with the prevention of infectious diseases; advanced health investment is the most cost-effective policy for the inverse health sequences of air pollution and infectious diseases such as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); integrating environmental protection policy into healthy development policy, different regions take targeted measures to cope with the intertwined crisis.

Overview of particulate air pollution and human health in China: Evidence, challenges, and opportunities

Ambient particulate matter (PM) pollution in China continues to be a major public health challenge. With the release of the new WHO air quality guidelines in 2021, there is an urgent need for China to contemplate a revision of air quality standards (AQS). In the recent decade, there has been an increase in epidemiological studies on PM in China. A comprehensive evaluation of such epidemiological evidence among the Chinese population is central for revision of the AQS in China and in other developing countries with similar air pollution problems. We thus conducted a systematic review on the epidemiological literature of PM published in the recent decade. In summary, we identified the following: (1) short-term and long-term PM exposure increase mortality and morbidity risk without a discernible threshold, suggesting the necessity for continuous improvement in air quality; (2) the magnitude of long-term associations with mortality observed in China are comparable with those in developed countries, whereas the magnitude of short-term associations are appreciably smaller; (3) governmental clean air policies and personalized mitigation measures are potentially effective in protecting public and individual health, but need to be validated using mortality or morbidity outcomes; (4) particles of smaller size range and those originating from fossil fuel combustion appear to show larger relative health risks; and (5) molecular epidemiological studies provide evidence for the biological plausibility and mechanisms underlying the hazardous effects of PM. This updated review may serve as an epidemiological basis for China’s AQS revision and proposes several perspectives in designing future health studies.

•

Acute effects of PM are smaller in China compared with developed countries

•

Health effects caused by PM depend on particle composition, source, and size

•

There are no thresholds for the health effects of PM

•

Mechanistic studies support the biological plausibility of PM’s health effects

Effects of Exposure Duration and Exposure Levels of Ambient Air Pollutants on the Risk of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome: A 2015-2019 Korean Population-Based Cohort Study

Exposure to ambient air pollution is associated with an increased risk of menstrual disorders and infertility. This study examined the relationships between the levels and duration of air pollution exposure and the risk of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) using Korean population-based cohort data (2015-2019). Real-time data on PM₁₀, PM_2.5, O₃, CO, SO₂, and NO₂ were provided by the Korean Ministry of Environment. The average monthly air pollutant concentration from 1 January 2014 to 31 December 2018 was analyzed. To assess individual-level exposure to air pollutants, a spatial prediction model and an area-averaging approach were used. In total, 237,582 PCOS cases were analyzed. The annual age-adjusted PCOS incidence was 6.70, 8.28, 9.73, 11.58, and 11.97% from 2015-2019, respectively. The PCOS risk increased 1.29-1.32, 1.43-1.52, and 1.32-fold following exposure to the 2-year and 3-year average levels of PM_2.5, O₃, and NO₂, respectively, compared to their 1-year average levels. The PCOS risk increased 1.75-fold (95% confidence interval: 1.66-1.85) in the fourth-quartile for the NO₂ level. Increased SO₂ and CO levels in the second- and third-quartiles were also associated with an increased PCOS risk. Exposure to air pollutants thus increased the risk for PCOS in the Korean population.

Elder people can be more susceptible to the association between short-term ambient air pollution and sleep disorder outpatient visits: a time-series study

Sleep disorders attract increasing concerns. However, the evidence of the association between ambient air pollution and sleep disorders is limited. Therefore, our aim was to determine the association between short-term air pollution exposure and outpatient visits for sleep disorders in Xi'an, the largest city in Northwest China. Baseline outpatient data of daily sleep disorders between 2011 and 2013 were collected. Quasi-Poisson distribution was applied by adjusting the day of the week and weather conditions. A total of 49,282 sleep disorder outpatient visits were recorded. The most significant association between air pollutants and outpatient visits was observed on concurrent day: per 10 μg/m3 increase of NO2, SO2, and PM10 at lag 0 corresponded to increased outpatient sleep disorder visits at 0.22% (95% CI: 0.03%, 0.42%), 1.53% (95% CI: 0.53, 2.53%), and 2.57% (95% CI: 1.33%, 3.82%), respectively. As for gender-specific analysis, there was no statistically significant difference between males and females. The result of season-specific analysis showed no statistically significant difference between warm seasons and cool seasons, either. As for age-specific analysis, obvious associations were observed in 20-40 age group (NO2) and > 40 age group (PM10 and SO2), while no evident association was found for the young age group (< 20 years old). Conclusively, short-term exposure to air pollutants, especially gaseous air pollutants, might increase the risk of sleep disorders, and such association appears to be more obvious in elder people. We provide novel data that there may be age differences in the relationship between short-term air pollution exposure and sleep disorders.

More obvious association between short-term ambient nitrogen dioxide and atrial fibrillation outpatient visits in cool seasons: A hospital-based study in northwestern China

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained heart rhythm disorder associated with high mortality and morbidity. Limited studies have been conducted to assess the relationship between short-term exposure to ambient air pollution and AF attacks. This study aimed to explore the association between short-term ambient nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) exposure and outpatient visits for AF in Xi'an, China. Data on daily AF outpatient visits and air pollutants from 2013 to 2019 (2555 days) were obtained. A time-series approach using over-dispersed Poisson generalized additive model (GAM) was employed, and stratified analyses were performed to investigate the potential modifying effects by season, age, and gender. A total of 8307 outpatient visits for AF were recorded. Increased levels of NO₂ were associated with increased AF outpatient visits, and the most significant effect estimates were observed at lag 03: A 10 μg/m³ increase of NO₂ at lag 03 was related to an elevation of 5.59% (95% CI: 2.67%, 8.51%) in daily outpatient visits for AF. Stratified analyses showed that there were no gender and age difference in the effect of NO₂, while more obvious association was observed in cool seasons (October to March) than in warm seasons (April to September). In summary, short-term ambient NO₂ exposure can be positively associated with daily outpatient visits for AF, especially in cool seasons. This work provided novel data that the association between air pollutants and AF can vary by seasons, further supporting that the prevention of cardiovascular health effects should be strengthened in winter.

The influence of socioeconomic and environmental determinants on acute myocardial infarction (AMI) mortality from the spatial epidemiological perspective

Plenty of epidemiological approaches have been explored to detect the effects of environmental and socioeconomic factors on acute myocardial infarction (AMI) mortality. Whereas, identifying the influence of potential affecting factors on AMI mortality based on a spatial epidemiological perspective was strongly desired. Moreover, the interaction effects of two potential factors on the diseases were always neglected previously. Here, the Geodetector and geographically & temporally weighted regression model (GTWR) combined with multi-source spatiotemporal datasets were introduced to quantitatively determine the relationship between AMI mortality and potential influencing factors across Xi'an during 2014-2016. Besides, Moran's I was adopted to diagnose the spatial autocorrelation of AMI mortality. Some findings were achieved. The number of AMI mortality cases increased from 5075 in 2014 to 6774 in 2016. Air pollutants, meteorological factors, economic status, and topography factors exhibited a significant effect on AMI mortality. The AMI mortality demonstrated an obvious spatial autocorrelation feature during 2014-2016. POP and PE represented the most obvious impact on AMI mortality, respectively. Moreover, the interaction of any two factors was larger than that of the single factor on AMI mortality, and the factors with the strongest interaction vary according to lag groups and ages. The effects of factors on AMI mortality were POP (- 628.925) > PE (140.102) > RD (79.145) > O₃ (- 58.438) > E_NH₃ (42.370) for male, and POP (- 751.206) > RD (132.935) > E_NH₃ (58.758) > PE (- 45.434) > O₃ (- 21.256) for female, respectively. This work reminds the local government to continuously control air pollution, strengthen urban planning, and improve the health care of the rural areas for alleviating AMI mortality. Meanwhile, the scheme of the current study supplies a scientific reference for examining the effects of potential impact factors on related diseases using the spatial epidemiological perspective.

Alterations of IL-1beta and TNF-alpha expression in RAW264.7 cell damage induced by two samples of PM2.5 with different compositions

Fine particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) has been demonstrated by previous studies to be associated with cell damage. To explore the impact of the composition of PM2.5 on PM2.5-mediated inflammation, this study investigated the composition of PM2.5 collected during the wintertime indoor heating season and observed its inflammatory effect. Samples were collected during the heating season from December 5, 2017, to January 8, 2018, in Xi'an. Compositions of organic carbon (OC), elemental carbon (EC), and water-soluble ions were analysed. Two representative samples (sample 1 and 2) were selected with significant differences in compositions. They were configured into four concentrations (0.1 μg/mL, 1 μg/mL, 10 μg/mL, 20 μg/mL) and used as interventions on RAW264.7 cells for 4 h and 24 h separately. Cell viability was detected by CCK-8. Tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) gene and protein expression levels were detected by real-time quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and western blotting. The results showed that the cell viability of sample 1 intervened cells at 4 h and 24 h was lower than that of sample 2. IL-1β gene in most PM2.5 intervention groups was lower than in the control group. Protein expression was higher at 4 h than at 24 h. In conclusion, PM2.5 components influence cell viability and expression of IL-1β and TNF-α, while high concentrations of NO3-, Cl-, Na+, K+, Mg2+, Ca2+, and others in the PM2.5 composition have a significant harmful effect.

Fine particulate matter and polycystic ovarian morphology

BACKGROUND

Polycystic ovary morphology (PCOM) is an ultrasonographic finding that can be present in women with ovulatory disorder and oligomenorrhea due to hypothalamic, pituitary, and ovarian dysfunction. While air pollution has emerged as a possible disrupter of hormone homeostasis, limited research has been conducted on the association between air pollution and PCOM.

METHODS

We conducted a longitudinal cohort study using electronic medical records data of 5,492 women with normal ovaries at the first ultrasound that underwent a repeated pelvic ultrasound examination during the study period (2004-2016) at Boston Medical Center. Machine learning text algorithms classified PCOM by ultrasound. We used geocoded home address to determine the ambient annual average PM2.5 exposures and categorized into tertiles of exposure. We used Cox Proportional Hazards models on complete data (n = 3,994), adjusting for covariates, and additionally stratified by race/ethnicity and body mass index (BMI).

RESULTS

Cumulative exposure to PM2.5 during the study ranged from 4.9 to 17.5 µg/m3 (mean = 10.0 μg/m3). On average, women were 31 years old and 58% were Black/African American. Hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CI) comparing the second and third PM2.5 exposure tertile vs. the reference tertile were 1.12 (0.88, 1.43) and 0.89 (0.62, 1.28), respectively. No appreciable differences were observed across race/ethnicity. Among women with BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2, we observed weak inverse associations with PCOM for the second (HR: 0.93, 95% CI: 0.66, 1.33) and third tertiles (HR: 0.89, 95% CI: 0.50, 1.57).

CONCLUSIONS

In this study of reproductive-aged women, we observed little association between PM2.5 concentrations and PCOM incidence. No dose response relationships were observed nor were estimates appreciably different across race/ethnicity within this clinically sourced cohort.

Significance between air pollutants, meteorological factors, and COVID-19 infections: probable evidences in India

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) disease represents the causative agent with a potentially fatal risk which is having great global human health concern. Earlier studies suggested that air pollutants and meteorological factors were considered as the risk factors for acute respiratory infection, which carries harmful pathogens and affects the immunity. The study intended to explore the correlation between air pollutants, meteorological factors, and the daily reported infected cases caused by novel coronavirus in India. The daily positive infected cases, concentrations of air pollutants, and meteorological factors in 288 districts were collected from January 30, 2020, to April 23, 2020, in India. Spearman's correlation and generalized additive model (GAM) were applied to investigate the correlations of four air pollutants (PM2.5, PM10, NO2, and SO2) and eight meteorological factors (Temp, DTR, RH, AH, AP, RF, WS, and WD) with COVID-19-infected cases. The study indicated that a 10 μg/m3 increase during (Lag0-14) in PM2.5, PM10, and NO2 resulted in 2.21% (95%CI: 1.13 to 3.29), 2.67% (95% CI: 0.33 to 5.01), and 4.56 (95% CI: 2.22 to 6.90) increase in daily counts of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID 19)-infected cases respectively. However, only 1 unit increase in meteorological factor levels in case of daily mean temperature and DTR during (Lag0-14) associated with 3.78% (95%CI: 1.81 to 5.75) and 1.82% (95% CI: -1.74 to 5.38) rise of COVID-19-infected cases respectively. In addition, SO2 and relative humidity were negatively associated with COVID-19-infected cases at Lag0-14 with decrease of 7.23% (95% CI: -10.99 to -3.47) and 1.11% (95% CI: -3.45 to 1.23) for SO2 and for relative humidity respectively. The study recommended that there are significant correlations between air pollutants and meteorological factors with COVID-19-infected cases, which substantially explain the effect of national lockdown and suggested positive implications for control and prevention of the spread of SARS-CoV-2 disease.

The Association Between Short-Term Air Pollution Exposure and Post-Adolescent Acne: The Evidence from a Time Series Analysis in Xi'an, China

BACKGROUND

Post-adolescent acne is a common skin disease faced by adults. However, whether air pollution (AP) serves as a risk factor for post-adolescent acne remains elusive.

AIM

To determine the relationship between short-term AP exposure (within 7 days) and outpatient visits for post-adolescent acne.

METHODS

Daily outpatient visit data for post-adolescent acne and routinely AP data between 2010 and 2013 were collected from Xi'an, China. A generalized additive regression model was used to analyze the relationship between outpatient visits for post-adolescent acne and short-term ambient AP exposure. The gender-specific analyses were conducted as well.

RESULTS

Totally, 27,190 outpatient visits for post-adolescent acne were included. The results revealed that a 10 μg/m3 increase in PM10, SO2, and NO2 at lag 0-7 day was associated with the increase of outpatient visits for post-adolescent acne at 0.84% (95% CI: 0.53%, 1.16%), 1.61% (95% CI: 0.12%, 3.10%), and 3.50% (95% CI: 1.60%, 5.40%), respectively. The significant positive associations of PM10, SO2, and NO2 were found at both single-lag models and moving average models. The gender-specific analyses showed that the effect estimates of PM10 was stronger for females than for males, while there was no observed gender difference in the effects of SO2 and NO2.

CONCLUSION

Short-term exposure to AP was associated with increased outpatient visits for post-adolescent acne, especially for females in the effects of PM10.

Association between short-term ambient air pollution and outpatient visits of anxiety: A hospital-based study in northwestern China

Anxiety, a common and devastating mental disorder, has raised widespread interests. The impacts of air pollution on physical health are well known, whereas few studies have explored the association of atmospheric pollution, especially short-term air pollution exposure, with the risk of anxiety disorders. In addition, there are increasing concerns in emerging evidence supporting a possible etiological link. Therefore, our aim was to evaluate the relationship between short-term exposure to atmospheric pollutants and anxiety outpatient visits in Xi'an, a city of northwestern China and a metropolis with relatively heavy air pollution. We collected the data of both daily outpatient visits and daily air pollution (SO₂, NO₂, and PM₁₀) between January 1, 2010 and January 31, 2016 (2222 days). To clarify the association between short-term ambient atmospheric pollution exposure and anxiety outpatient visits, an over-dispersed Poisson generalized additive model was applied by adjusting the day of the week and weather conditions (including temperature, humidity, sunlight hours, and rainfalls). Positive association between gaseous air pollutants (SO₂ and NO₂) and anxiety daily outpatient visits was observed. Moreover, the largest estimated values of both SO₂ and NO₂ were evidence at lag 03 (4-day moving average lag), with 10 μg/m³ increase corresponded to the increase of outpatient anxiety visits at 4.11% (95% CI: 2.15%, 6.06%) for SO₂ and 3.97% (95% CI: 1.90%, 6.06%) for NO₂. However, there was no differences in susceptibility to air pollutants between different genders as well as different ages. Taken together, short-term exposure to ambient air pollutants, especially gaseous air pollutants (NO₂ and SO₂), can be related to higher risk of anxiety outpatient visits.

Determining the effects of socioeconomic and environmental determinants on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) mortality using geographically and temporally weighted regression model across Xi'an during 2014-2016

Numerous methods have been implemented to evaluate the relationship between environmental factors and respiratory mortality. However, the previous epidemiological studies seldom considered the spatial and temporal variation of the independent variables. The present study aims to detect the relations between respiratory mortality and related affecting factors across Xi'an during 2014-2016 based on a novel geographically and temporally weighted regression model (GTWR). Meanwhile, the ordinary least square (OLS) and the geographically weighted regression (GWR) models were developed for cross-comparison. Additionally, the spatial autocorrelation and Hot Spot analysis methods were conducted to detect the spatiotemporal dynamic of respiratory mortality. Some important outcomes were obtained. Socioeconomic and environmental determinants represented significant effects on respiratory diseases. The respiratory mortality exhibited an obvious spatial correlation feature, and the respiratory diseases tend to occur in winter and rural areas of the study area. The GTWR model outperformed OLS and GWR for determining the relations between respiratory mortality and socioeconomic as well as environmental determinants. The influence degree of anthropic factors on COPD mortality was higher than natural factors, and the effects of independent variables on COPD varied timely and locally. The results can supply a scientific basis for respiratory disease controlling and health facilities planning.

Uncovering the pharmacological mechanism of motherwort (Leonurus japonicus Houtt.) for treating menstrual disorders: A systems pharmacology approach

Leonurus japonicus (motherwort) is a traditional Chinese medicine that is widely used to treat menstrual disorders (MDs). However, the pharmacological mechanisms that underlie its clinical application remain unclear. In this study, a network pharmacology-based approach was used that integrated drug-likeness evaluation, oral bioavailability prediction, target exploration, network construction, bioinformatic annotation and molecular docking to investigate the mechanisms that underlie motherwort treatment for MDs. In total, 29 bioactive compounds were collected from 51 compounds in motherwort, which shared 17 common MDs-related targets. Network analysis indicated that motherwort played a therapeutic role in MDs treatment through multiple components that acted on multiple targets. Pathway enrichment analysis showed that the putative targets of motherwort were primarily involved in various pathways associated with the endocrine system, cancers, vascular system, and anti-inflammation process. Notably, five targets (i.e., AKT1, PTGS2, ESR1, AR and PPARG) were screened as hub genes based on a degree algorithm. Moreover, most of the bioactive components in motherwort had good binding ability with these genes, implying that motherwort could regulate their biological function. Collectively, this study elucidated the molecular mechanisms that underlay the efficiency of motherwort against MDs and demonstrated the potential of network pharmacology as an approach to uncover the action mechanism of herbal medicines.