1.
Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and ambient air pollution: A dose-effect relationship and an association with OHCA incidence.
Gentile, FR, Primi, R, Baldi, E, Compagnoni, S, Mare, C, Contri, E, Reali, F, Bussi, D, Facchin, F, Currao, A, et al
PloS one. 2021;(8):e0256526
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pollution has been suggested as a precipitating factor for cardiovascular diseases. However, data about the link between air pollution and the risk of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) are limited and controversial. METHODS By collecting data both in the OHCA registry and in the database of the regional agency for environmental protection (ARPA) of the Lombardy region, all medical OHCAs and the mean daily concentration of pollutants including fine particulate matter (PM10, PM2.5), benzene (C6H6), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulphur dioxide (SO2), and ozone (O3) were considered from January 1st to December 31st, 2019 in the southern part of the Lombardy region (provinces of Pavia, Lodi, Cremona and Mantua; 7863 km2; about 1550000 inhabitants). Days were divided into high or low incidence of OHCA according to the median value. A Probit dose-response analysis and both uni- and multivariable logistic regression models were provided for each pollutant. RESULTS The concentrations of all the pollutants were significantly higher in days with high incidence of OHCA except for O3, which showed a significant countertrend. After correcting for temperature, a significant dose-response relationship was demonstrated for all the pollutants examined. All the pollutants were also strongly associated with high incidence of OHCA in multivariable analysis with correction for temperature, humidity, and day-to-day concentration changes. CONCLUSIONS Our results clarify the link between pollutants and the acute risk of cardiac arrest suggesting the need of both improving the air quality and integrating pollution data in future models for the organization of emergency medical services.
2.
Obesity enhanced respiratory health effects of ambient air pollution in Chinese children: the Seven Northeastern Cities study.
Dong, GH, Qian, Z, Liu, MM, Wang, D, Ren, WH, Fu, Q, Wang, J, Simckes, M, Ferguson, TF, Trevathan, E
International journal of obesity (2005). 2013;(1):94-100
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Experimental data suggest that obesity enhances the effects of ambient air pollutants on exacerbation of asthma; however, there is little supporting epidemiological evidence. The aim of present study is to evaluate whether obesity modifies the association between ambient air pollution and respiratory symptoms and asthma in children. METHODS In Northeast China, 30 056 children aged 2-14 years were selected from 25 districts of seven cities. Parents of the children completed questionnaires that characterized the children's histories of respiratory symptoms and illness, and associated risk factors. Overweight and obesity were calculated with an age and sex-specific body mass index (BMI, kg m(-2)), with BMIs of greater than the 85th and 95th percentiles defining overweight and obesity, respectively. Average annual ambient exposure to particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter 10 μm (PM(10)), sulfur dioxide (SO(2)), nitrogen dioxides (NO(2)) and ozone (O(3)) was estimated from data collected at monitoring stations in each of the 25 study districts. RESULTS We observed consistent and significant interactions between exposure and obesity on respiratory symptoms and asthma. The associations between each pollutant's yearly concentrations and respiratory symptoms and asthma were consistently larger for overweight/obese children than for normal-weight children, with odds ratios (ORs) ranging from 1.17 per 31 μg m(-3) for PM(10) on wheeze (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.01, 1.36) to 1.50 per 10 μg m(-3) for NO(2) on phlegm (95% CI: 1.21, 1.87) and cough (95% CI: 1.24, 1.81). CONCLUSION These results showed that overweight/obesity enhanced respiratory health effects of air pollution in the study children.