Extract
Due to global climate change, climatologists anticipate not only a rise in mean yearly ambient temperature, but also an increase in the frequency and intensity of variable weather patterns, including extreme hot and cold weather events [1, 2]. Overall mortality is higher during winter months [3, 4] and half of excessive deaths in the cold season are respiratory in nature [5]. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the third leading cause of death worldwide and is linked to high healthcare-associated financial burden [6, 7]. Identifying environmental factors that contribute to COPD morbidity is crucial to define adaptive strategies to improve outcomes.
Abstract
Cold temperatures lead to worse outcomes in those with COPD, even after accounting for other environmental factors http://ow.ly/ltCG30bRWnT
Footnotes
Support statement: The authors are supported by the following grants: NIEHS grants F32ES022115, K23ES025781, K24ES021098, P01ES018176, P50ES015903, R01ES022607, R01ES023500, R21ES015781, R21ES024021 and R21ES025840, NIMHD grant P50MD010431 and EPA grant RD83451001. Funding information for this article has been deposited with the Crossref Funder Registry.
Conflict of interest: Disclosures can be found alongside this article at erj.ersjournals.com
- Received May 6, 2016.
- Accepted March 25, 2017.
- Copyright ©ERS 2017