scholarly journals Benefits of improved air quality on ageing lungs: impacts of genetics and obesity

2019 ◽  
Vol 53 (4) ◽  
pp. 1801780 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anke Hüls ◽  
Dorothee Sugiri ◽  
Michael J. Abramson ◽  
Barbara Hoffmann ◽  
Holger Schwender ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Lung Function ◽  
Elderly Women ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Forced Expiratory Volume ◽  
Risk Scores ◽  
Risk Alleles ◽  
Related Risk ◽  
Z Scores

IntroductionThe beneficial effect of improving air quality on lung function in the elderly remains unclear. We examined associations between decline in air pollutants and lung function, and effect modifications by genetics and body mass index (BMI), in elderly German women.MethodsData were analysed from the prospective SALIA (Study on the influence of Air pollution on Lung function, Inflammation and Aging) study (n=601). Spirometry was conducted at baseline (1985–1994; age 55 years), in 2007–2010 and in 2012–2013. Air pollution concentrations at home addresses were determined for each time-point using land-use regression models. Global Lung Initiative 2012 z-scores were calculated. Weighted genetic risk scores (GRSs) were determined from lung function-related risk alleles and used to investigate interactions with improved air quality. Multiple linear mixed models were fitted.ResultsAir pollution levels decreased substantially during the study period. Reduction of air pollution was associated with an increase in z-scores for forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) and the FEV1/forced vital capacity ratio. For a decrease of 10 µg·m−3 in nitrogen dioxide (NO2), the z-score for FEV1 increased by 0.14 (95% CI 0.01–0.26). However, with an increasing number of lung function-related risk alleles, the benefit from improved air quality decreased (GRS×NO2 interaction: p=0.029). Interactions with BMI were not significant.ConclusionsReduction of air pollution is associated with a relative improvement of lung function in elderly women, but also depends on their genetic make-up.

scholarly journals Benefits of improved air quality on aging lungs – Impacts of genetics and obesity

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anke Hüls ◽  
Dorothea Sugiri ◽  
Michael J Abramson ◽  
Barbara Hoffmann ◽  
Holger Schwender ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Lung Function ◽  
Elderly Women ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Risk Scores ◽  
Pollution Levels ◽  
Risk Alleles ◽  
Related Risk ◽  
Z Scores

AbstractIntroductionThe beneficial effect of improving air quality on lung function in the elderly remains unclear. We examined associations between decline in air pollutants and lung function and effect modifications by genetics and BMI in elderly German women.MethodsData were analysed from the prospective SALIA cohort study (N=601). Spirometry was conducted at baseline (1985-1994; 55 years), in 2007-2010 and in 2012-2013. Air pollution concentrations at home addresses were determined for each time point using land-use regression models. GLI z-scores were calculated. Weighted genetic risk scores (GRS) were determined from lung function-related risk alleles and used to investigate interactions with improved air quality. Adjusted linear mixed models were fitted.ResultsAir pollution levels decreased substantially during the study period. Reduction of air pollution was associated with an increase of z-scores for FEV1 and FEV1/FVC. For a decrease of 10 μg/m3 in NO2, the z-score for FEV1 increased by 0.14 (95%CI: 0.01; 0.26). However, with an increasing number of lung function-related risk alleles, the benefit from improved air quality decreased (GRSxNO2-interaction:p=0.029). Interactions with BMI were not significant.ConclusionsReduction of air pollution is associated with a relative improvement of lung function in elderly women, but also depends on their genetic make-up.

scholarly journals Impact of Air Pollution on Lung Function among Preadolescent Children in Two Cities in Poland

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 2375
Author(s):  
Piotr Dąbrowiecki ◽  
Łukasz Adamkiewicz ◽  
Dominika Mucha ◽  
Piotr Oskar Czechowski ◽  
Mateusz Soliński ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Lung Function ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Forced Expiratory Volume ◽  
Ambient Air Pollution ◽  
Mean Values ◽  
Baltic Coast ◽  
Allergic Symptoms ◽  
The Baltic

Ambient air pollution impairs lung development in children, particularly in industrialized areas. The air quality in Zabrze, a city located in the Upper Silesian Industrial Region of Poland, is among the worst in Europe. We compared lung function and the frequency of respiratory or allergic symptoms between children living in Zabrze and those living in Gdynia, a city on the Baltic coast, which has the best long-term air quality in Poland. We enrolled children aged 9–15 years from both cities who were able to perform a spirometry. The following spirometry variables were measured for all participants: forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume during the first second of expiration (FEV1), FEV1/FVC index, and peak expiratory flow (PEF). The frequencies of respiratory or allergic symptoms were taken from a survey completed by the participants’ parents. In total, 258 children from Gdynia and 512 children from Zabrze were examined. The mean values of FVC, FEV1, and PEF were significantly greater among children in Gdynia than those reported in Zabrze (p ≤ 0.032), and the frequencies of seasonal rhinorrhea (p = 0.015) or coughing episodes (p = 0.022) were significantly higher in Zabrze than in Gdynia. In conclusion, lung function was significantly impaired in children living in Zabrze, an area which is associated with poor air quality. Strategies to improve air quality in the Silesia region are urgently needed.

scholarly journals The role of air pollution and lung function in cognitive impairment

2018 ◽  
Vol 51 (2) ◽  
pp. 1701963 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anke Hüls ◽  
Andrea Vierkötter ◽  
Dorothea Sugiri ◽  
Michael J. Abramson ◽  
Ulrich Ranft ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Lung Function ◽  
Neuropsychological Test ◽  
Forced Expiratory Volume ◽  
Z Scores ◽  
Causal Mediation Analysis ◽  
Never Smokers

Air pollution has been associated with impaired lung and cognitive function, especially impairment in visuo-construction performance (VCP). In this article, we evaluate whether the effect of air pollution on VCP is mediated by lung function.We used data from the SALIA cohort (baseline 1985–1994 and follow-up 2007–2010) including 587 women aged 55 years at baseline. Particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) exposures at baseline were estimated via land-use regression models. Lung function was characterised by averages between baseline and follow-up. We used age- and height-controlled Global Lung Initiative (GLI) z-scores of forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC) and FEV1/FVC. VCP was assessed at follow-up with the CERAD-Plus neuropsychological test battery and causal mediation analysis was conducted.An increase of one interquartile range in FEV1 and FVC was positively associated with VCP (β=0.18 (95% CI 0.02–0.34) and β=0.23 (95% CI 0.07–0.39), respectively). The proportion of the association between NO2 on VCP mediated by FEV1 was 6.2% and this was higher in never smokers (7.2%) and non-carriers of the APOE-ε4 allele (11.2%). However, none of the mediations were statistically significant.In conclusion, air pollution associated VCP was partially mediated by lung function. Further studies on the mechanisms underlying this pathway are required to develop new strategies to prevent air pollution induced cognitive impairment.

scholarly journals Long-term Improvement of Air Quality Associated with Lung Function Benefits in Chinese Young Adults: A Quasi-experiment Cohort Study

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shurong Feng ◽  
Jiaming Miao ◽  
Minghao Wang ◽  
Ning Jiang ◽  
Siqi Dou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Cohort Study ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Lung Function ◽  
Forced Expiratory Volume ◽  
Improve Lung Function ◽  
Chinese Young Adults ◽  
Quasi Experiment

Background: Long-term exposure to air pollution is associated with lung function impairment. However, whether long-term improvements in air quality could improve lung function is unclear.<br />Methods: We conducted a prospective quasi-experiment cohort study with 1731 college students in Shandong, China from September 2019 to September 2020, covering COVID-19 lockdown period. Data on PM2.5, PM10, NO2 and SO2 concentrations were obtained from China Environmental Monitoring Station. The concentration of O3 was obtained from Tracking Air Pollution in China. Lung function indicators included forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) and forced expiratory flow at 50% of FVC (FEF50%). Linear mixed-effects model was used to examine the associations between the change of air pollutants’ concentrations and the change of lung functions. We also conducted stratified analysis by sex.<br />Results: Compared with 2019, the mean FVC, FEV1 and FEF50% were elevated by 414.4ml, 321.5ml, and 28.4ml respectively in 2020. Every 5μg/m3 decrease in annual average PM2.5 concentrations was associated with 36.0ml [95% confidence interval (CI):6.0, 66.0ml], 46.1ml (95% CI:16.7, 75.5ml), and 124.2ml/s (95% CI:69.5, 178.9ml/s) increment in the FVC, FEV1, and FEF50%, respectively. Similar associations were found for PM10. There was no significant effect difference between male and female.<br />Conclusions: Long-term improvement of air quality can improve lung function among young adults. Stricter policies on improving air quality are needed to protect human health.<br />Funding: Taishan Scholar Program

An Environmental Justice Analysis of British Air Quality

2003 ◽  
Vol 35 (5) ◽  
pp. 909-929 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gordon Mitchell ◽  
Danny Dorling
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Environmental Justice ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Local Communities ◽  
Car Ownership ◽  
National Study ◽  
Environmental Injustice ◽  
The Usa ◽  
History Of

This paper presents the results of the first national study of air quality in Britain to consider the implications of its distribution across over ten thousand local communities in terms of potential environmental injustice. We consider the recent history of the environmental justice debate in Britain, Europe, and the USA and, in the light of this, estimate how one aspect of air pollution, nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels, affects different population groups differentially across Britain. We also estimate the extent to which people living in each community in Britain contribute towards this pollution, with the aid of information on the characteristics of the vehicles they own. We find that, although community NO x emission and ambient NO2 concentration are strongly related, the communities that have access to fewest cars tend to suffer from the highest levels of air pollution, whereas those in which car ownership is greatest enjoy the cleanest air. Pollution is most concentrated in areas where young children and their parents are more likely to live and least concentrated in areas to which the elderly tend to migrate. Those communities that are most polluted and which also emit the least pollution tend to be amongst the poorest in Britain. There is therefore evidence of environmental injustice in the distribution and production of poor air quality in Britain. However, the spatial distribution of those who produce and receive most of that pollution have to be considered simultaneously to see this injustice clearly.

scholarly journals Global Lung Function Initiative 2012 reference equations for spirometry in the Norwegian population

2016 ◽  
Vol 48 (6) ◽  
pp. 1602-1611 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arnulf Langhammer ◽  
Ane Johannessen ◽  
Turid L. Holmen ◽  
Hasse Melbye ◽  
Sanja Stanojevic ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lung Function ◽  
Reference Values ◽  
Vital Capacity ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Forced Expiratory Volume ◽  
Female Adolescents ◽  
Norwegian Population ◽  
Reference Equations ◽  
Z Scores ◽  
Lower Limit Of Normal

We studied the fit of the Global Lung Function Initiative (GLI) all-age reference values to Norwegians, compared them with currently used references (European Community for Steel and Coal (ECSC) and Zapletal) and estimated the prevalence of obstructive lung disease.Spirometry data collected in 30 239 subjects (51.7% females) aged 12–90 years in three population-based studies were converted to z-scores.We studied healthy non-smokers comprising 2438 adults (57.4% females) aged 20–90 years and 8725 (47.7% female) adolescents aged 12–19 years. The GLI-2012 prediction equations fitted the Norwegian data satisfactorily. Median±sd z-scores were respectively 0.02±1.03, 0.01±1.04 and −0.04±0.91 for forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC) and FEV1/FVC in males, and −0.01±1.02, 0.07±0.97 and −0.21±0.82 in females. The ECSC and Zapletal references significantly underestimated FEV1 and FVC. Stricter criteria of obstruction (FEV1/FVC <GLI-2012 lower limit of normal (LLN)) carried a substantially higher risk of obstructive characteristics than FEV1/FVC <0.7 and >GLI-2012 LLN. Corresponding comparison regarding myocardial infarction showed a four-fold higher risk for women.The GLI-2012 reference values fit the Norwegian data satisfactorily and are recommended for use in Norway. Correspondingly, the FEV1/FVC GLI-2012 LLN identifies higher risk of obstructive characteristics than FEV1/FVC <0.7.

scholarly journals Lung function association with outdoor temperature and relative humidity and its interaction with air pollution in the elderly

2018 ◽  
Vol 165 ◽  
pp. 110-117 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johanna Lepeule ◽  
Augusto A. Litonjua ◽  
Antonio Gasparrini ◽  
Petros Koutrakis ◽  
David Sparrow ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Lung Function ◽  
Relative Humidity ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Outdoor Temperature

Ambient air pollution exposure and lung function assessment of filling station attendants in Ibadan, Nigeria

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 211-218
Author(s):  
Toluwanimi Mobolade Oni ◽  
Godson R.E.E. Ana
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Lung Function ◽  
Air Pollutants ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Forced Expiratory Volume ◽  
Ambient Air Pollution ◽  
World Health ◽  
Health Administration ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Filling Station

Abstract Background There is an increasing range of adverse health effects associated with air pollution at very low concentrations. Few studies have assessed respiratory parameters among filling station attendants. Objectives This study assessed air pollutants; particulate matter (PM10) and total volatile organic compounds (TVOC) concentrations at filling stations as well as determined forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) and peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) levels among filling station attendants. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess PM10 and TVOC concentrations at 20 systematically selected filling stations in Ibadan North Local Government Area, Ibadan for 2 months using a Thermo Scientific pDR 1500 PM10 monitor and SF2000-TVOC meter. FEV1 and PEFR levels were measured in order to assess the effect of exposure to PM10 and TVOC on lung function of 100 filling station attendants using a PIKO-1 Electronic peakflow/FEV1 meter. Results Total mean PM10 concentrations (μg/m3) in the morning (43.7±16.5) and afternoon (27.8±7.9) were significantly lower (p<0.01) than the World Health Organization (WHO) guideline limit (50 μg/m3). Total mean TVOC concentrations (ppm) in the morning (12.0±3.4) and afternoon (5.6±2.4) were however significantly higher (p<0.01) than the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) guideline limit (3 ppm). Mean FEV1 for filling station attendants was 1.63±0.39 and PEFR was 171.7±45.9. Conclusion Filling stations are hotspots for the emission of VOCs and PM10. However, filling station attendants in this study are at risk of exposure to high concentrations of VOCs but not PM10. FEV1 and PEFR values among filling station attendants were very low which could possibly be attributed to extended exposure to air pollutants. Regular medical examinations should also be conducted on filling station attendants in order to aid early detection of deviations in their health status.

scholarly journals Lung function: population epidemiology and concordance in Australian children aged 11–12 years and their parents

BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (Suppl 3) ◽  
pp. 53-62 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liam Welsh ◽  
Gayan Kathriachchige ◽  
Tahmeed Raheem ◽  
Anneke C Grobler ◽  
Melissa Wake ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lung Function ◽  
Population Sample ◽  
Correlation Coefficients ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Forced Expiratory Volume ◽  
International Standards ◽  
Linear Regression Models ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Parents And Children ◽  
Z Scores

ObjectivesTo describe the epidemiology of lung function in Australian children aged 11–12 years and their parents, and explore the degree of intergenerational concordance.DesignCross-sectional study (the Child Health CheckPoint) nested in the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC).SettingAssessment centres in seven Australian cities and eight regional towns, February 2015 to March 2016. Families unable to attend a clinic appointment were offered a home visit during the same period.Participants1874 families (53% of all eligible) participated in the study. Lung function data were available for 1759 children aged 11–12 years and 1774 parents (1668 biological pairs).Outcome measuresParticipants completed spirometry with measures including forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC) and mid expiratory flow (MEF), converted to z-scores using Global Lung Initiative equations. Parent–child concordance was assessed using Pearson’s correlation coefficients and multivariable linear regression models. Survey weights and methods accounted for LSAC’s complex sampling, stratification and clustering within postcodes.ResultsAll lung function measures followed approximately normal distributions. Mean (SD) for FEV1, FVC and MEF z-scores in children were 0.33 (1.07), 0.83 (1.14) and −0.48 (1.09), respectively. Mean (SD) in parents were 0.28 (1.10), 0.85 (1.15) and −0.45 (1.10), respectively. Parent FEV1, FVC and MEF were associated with child lung function with significant positive correlation coefficients (0.22, 95% CI 0.17 to 0.26; 0.24, 95% CI 0.20 to 0.29; and 0.24, 95% CI 0.20 to 0.29, respectively).ConclusionsMean lung volumes were larger but with smaller airway size than international standards for both parents and children in this population sample. Modest associations between parent and child lung function highlight the potential for better identification of ‘at risk’ populations. Therefore, these findings may aid the development of health policy that aims to prevent the onset or limit the progression of lung disease.

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