Eur Respir J 2001; 17:1024-1033
Copyright ©ERS Journals Ltd 2001
Urban air pollution and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a review
J. Sunyer
Unitat de Recerca Respiratòria i Ambiental, Institut Municipal d'Investigació Médica, Barcelona, Spain
CORRESPONDENCE: J. Sunyer, Unitat de Recerca Respiratòria i Ambiental, Institut Municipal d'Investigació Mèdica, Doctor Aiguader 80, E-08003, Barcelona, Spain. Fax: 34 932216448
Keywords: air pollution, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung function, particulates
Received: June 22, 2000
Accepted November 30, 2000
Abstract
There is consistency in the findings that relate the acute increases in urban air pollution (mainly the particulate matter) and the short-term health effects (i.e. mortality and hospital admissions) on patients suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Beyond the acute effects, a relevant public health and scientific question is to what extent chronic exposure to air pollution is related with lung function impairment and development of COPD.
The few cross-sectional studies showed an increase of self-reported diagnosis of chronic bronchitis and emphysema, breathlessness and mucus hypersecretion and lower levels of lung function in the more polluted areas. The two cohort studies in children have found a retardation of pulmonary function growth, and the only cohort in adults a faster decline of lung function.
Given the intrinsic limitations of cross-sectional studies to separate the timing between exposure and effects, and the weaknesses of the cohorts (i.e. few areas, short follow-up, only one retest, lack of individual weighting of air pollution measure) there is a need for new prospective studies. These should be performed in a large number of geographical areas and with a long follow-up to asses the impact of long-term air pollution on lung function growth and decline, and on incidence, duration, severity and survival of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
This article has been cited by other articles:

|
 |

|
 |
 
J E Hart, F Laden, E A Eisen, T J Smith, and E Garshick
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease mortality in railroad workers
Occup. Environ. Med.,
April 1, 2009;
66(4):
221 - 226.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
C. Gingter, S. Wilm, and H.-H. Abholz
Is COPD a rare disease? Prevalence and identification rates in smokers aged 40 years and over within general practice in Germany
Fam. Pract.,
February 1, 2009;
26(1):
3 - 9.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
A. Faustini, C. Marino, D. D'Ippoliti, F. Forastiere, V. Belleudi, and C. A. Perucci
The impact on risk-factor analysis of different mortality outcomes in COPD patients
Eur. Respir. J.,
September 1, 2008;
32(3):
629 - 636.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
J. W. Hollingsworth, S. Maruoka, Z. Li, E. N. Potts, D. M. Brass, S. Garantziotis, A. Fong, W. M. Foster, and D. A. Schwartz
Ambient Ozone Primes Pulmonary Innate Immunity in Mice
J. Immunol.,
October 1, 2007;
179(7):
4367 - 4375.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
H. Kan, G. Heiss, K. M Rose, E. Whitsel, F. Lurmann, and S. J London
Traffic exposure and lung function in adults: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study
Thorax,
October 1, 2007;
62(10):
873 - 879.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
J Sunyer, D Jarvis, T Gotschi, R Garcia-Esteban, B Jacquemin, I Aguilera, U Ackerman, R de Marco, B Forsberg, T Gislason, et al.
Chronic bronchitis and urban air pollution in an international study
Occup. Environ. Med.,
December 1, 2006;
63(12):
836 - 843.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
C. E. Behrendt
Mild and Moderate-to-Severe COPD in Nonsmokers: Distinct Demographic Profiles
Chest,
September 1, 2005;
128(3):
1239 - 1244.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
P. J. Barnes
Mediators of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Pharmacol. Rev.,
December 1, 2004;
56(4):
515 - 548.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
G. D. Smith and J. Lynch
Commentary: Social capital, social epidemiology and disease aetiology
Int. J. Epidemiol.,
August 1, 2004;
33(4):
691 - 700.
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
D M Mannino, F Holguin, H M Greves, A Savage-Brown, A L Stock, and R L Jones
Urinary cadmium levels predict lower lung function in current and former smokers: data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey
Thorax,
March 1, 2004;
59(3):
194 - 198.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
G. Ihorst, T. Frischer, F. Horak, M. Schumacher, M. Kopp, J. Forster, J. Mattes, and J. Kuehr
Long- and medium-term ozone effects on lung growth including a broad spectrum of exposure
Eur. Respir. J.,
February 1, 2004;
23(2):
292 - 299.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
A Agusti, W MacNee, K Donaldson, and M Cosio
Hypothesis: Does COPD have an autoimmune component?
Thorax,
October 1, 2003;
58(10):
832 - 834.
[Full Text]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
The pharmacoepidemiology of COPD: Recent advances and methodological discussion
Eur. Respir. J.,
September 1, 2003;
22(43_suppl):
1s - 44s.
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
J. Dai, C. Xie, R. Vincent, and A. Churg
Air Pollution Particles Produce Airway Wall Remodeling in Rat Tracheal Explants
Am. J. Respir. Cell Mol. Biol.,
September 1, 2003;
29(3):
352 - 358.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
J. Dai, C. Xie, and A. Churg
Iron Loading Makes a Nonfibrogenic Model Air Pollutant Particle Fibrogenic In Rat Tracheal Explants
Am. J. Respir. Cell Mol. Biol.,
June 1, 2002;
26(6):
685 - 693.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|
Copyright © 2001 by the European Respiratory Society.
|