Air Pollution Boosts Death Rates

Those with diseases like diabetes, heart failure and rheumatoid arthritis are vulnerable, study finds

By Randy Dotinga
HealthDay Reporter

Related Encyclopedia • Addison's Disease • Allergic Rhinitis • Allergies • Allergies To Animals In Children More... Related Healthscout Videos Heart Transplant Breakthrough Clean the Blood, Save the Heart Hybrid Hearing Continuous Glucose Monitoring System More... Related Animations • Allergy • Alzheimer's Disease Video Animation • Angioplasty • Animation: What is a Heart Attack? More... Related Drug Information • Accupril • Actonel • Actos • Allegra More... Related News Articles • Online Education Program Helps Heart Patients • Aspirin May Cut Pregnancy Complication Risk • U.S. Stroke Rates Vary Widely by States • Lifestyle Changes Help Older Women's Hearts After HRT More...

MONDAY, May 22 (HealthDay News) -- People with heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, and inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis face a higher risk of death when exposed to particulate air pollution -- commonly known as soot -- for one year or more, a new study suggests.

According to the study findings, a fairly brief increase in particulate air pollution boosts the risk of death by 27 percent to 32 percent among some patients with diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and congestive heart failure. And people with diseases like rheumatoid arthritis face a similar risk.

Text Continues Below

---

"Air pollution significantly increases risks in a relatively short period of time," said study lead author Joel Schwartz, a professor of environmental epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health. "These people are dying within a year or two of pollution concentrations going up," he added.

Schwartz and his colleagues examined hospital records for Medicare patients in 34 U.S. cities from 1985 to 1999 to find patients who had been admitted for treatment of a number of diseases. Then, they followed the patients for as long as 15 years to see if they lived or died.

The researchers also examined the annual air pollution levels of particulate matter, which is made up of tiny particles that can easily travel into the lungs.

The researchers reported their findings Monday at the American Thoracic Society meeting in San Diego.

According to the study, each time particulate matter levels increased by 10 micrograms per cubic meter over two years, the risk of dying went up by 32 percent for those with diabetes and 28 percent for those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

The risk of death rose by 27 percent for those with congestive heart failure and 22 percent for people with inflammatory diseases, which include rheumatoid arthritis and lupus.

Page:  1 | 2 | Next >>