Older adults may be at increased risk of
being hospitalized for lung and heart disease, stroke, and diabetes following
long-term exposure to fine-particle air pollution, according to a new study by
researchers at Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH). It is the first study to
look at the link between long-term effects of exposure to fine particles in the
air and rates of hospital admissions.
The
study will be published online April 17, 2012 in PLoS ONE.
Prior
studies have reported an association between hospitalization and short-term air
particle exposure (i.e. exposure to air particles on day of hospital admission
or several days before). However, these short-term studies left unclear how
many extra admissions occurred in the long run, and only included people who
live near air pollution monitors, typically located in cities. No studies of
long-term exposure to fine air particles (over the course of a year or two
years) and rates of hospitalizations had been done.
"Our
study found that long-term rates of admissions for pneumonia, heart attacks,
strokes, and diabetes are higher in locations with higher long-term average
particle concentrations," said lead author Itai Kloog, a research fellow
in the Department of Environmental Health at HSPH.
Kloog
and his colleagues, including senior author Joel Schwartz, professor of
environmental epidemiology at HSPH and director of the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis, used
novel prediction
models, based on satellite
observations, emissions, traffic, and weather data to
predict levels of fine air particles in the air all over New England, which
allowed the researchers to include rural and suburban areas. The researchers
compared their findings with hospital admission records on all Medicare patients,
ages 65 and older, admitted to 3,000 hospitals throughout New England from
2000-2006.
The
researchers estimated zip code concentrations of fine air particles known as
PM2.5 – air matter with a diameter of 2.5 microns or less and more narrow than
the width of a human hair. These particles, such as soot from vehicles, and
other particles from power plants, wood burning, and certain industrial
processes, are a significant health risk when they lodge in the lungs, causing
inflammation there and in the rest of the body, and contributing to lung and
heart disease.
The
results showed an association between long-term exposure to fine air particles
for all hospital
admissions examined. For example, for every 10-µg/m3 increase in
long-term PM2.5 exposure, the researchers found a 4.22% increase in respiratory
admissions, a 3.12% increase in cardiovascular disease admissions, a 3.49%
increase in stroke admissions, and a 6.33% increase in diabetes admissions.
"Particulate
air pollution is one of the largest avoidable causes of death and illness in
the United States, and unlike diet and exercise, does not require behavioral
change. Off-the-shelf technology can be retrofitted onto sources of pollution
at modest cost, with a large health benefit. This study shows that in addition
to avoiding deaths, such measures will reduce chronic disease and medical care
costs," said Schwartz.
Other
HSPH researchers in the study included Antonella Zanobetti, senior research
scientist in the Department of Environmental Health, Brent Coull, professor of
biostatistics, and Petros Koutrakis, professor of environmental sciences.
More
information: "Acute
and Chronic Effects of Particles on Hospital Admissions in New England,"
Itai Kloog, Brent A. Coull, Antonella Zanobetti, Petros Koutrakis,and Joel D.
Schwartz, PLoS ONE, online April 17, 2012.
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