The special section includes an overview and historical perspective on the problem of outdoor air pollution, along with updated reviews of the health effects of three specific categories of air pollutants:
• Particulate matter, linked to increased rates of illness and death from heart and lung (cardiopulmonary) disease—probably by promoting inflammation within the airways. Particulates may also increase lung cancer risk, but more study is needed.
• Ozone, a respiratory irritant that decreases lung function in healthy people as well as patients with asthma. Short-term increases in ozone level may also lead to increases in illness and death from cardiopulmonary disease.
• Nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and carbon monoxide, which are highly toxic at high concentrations. Although they contribute to poor air quality, it remains unclear whether these pollutants cause health problems at the "ambient" levels associated with air pollution.
The report encourages health care professionals to develop a "clear, strong, and personalized" approach to educating high-risk patients on how to monitor daily air quality, and what steps to take when pollutant levels are unusually high. Targeted groups include patients with various cardiopulmonary diseases, such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, coronary artery disease, and peripheral vascular disease.
These at-risk patients should know about available sources of information on daily air quality. The AIRNow website, http://www.airnow.gov, provides daily, community-specific air quality "forecasts." Other sources of information include the Weather Channel, USA Today, and local media. Patients should look for the Air Quality Index (AQI), which estimates the effects that patients might experience within a few hours or days after breathing polluted air. When the AQI is higher than 100, the risk of adverse health effects is elevated for patients with cardiopulmonary diseases and other sensitive groups.
On those days, some simple avoidance strategies may help to reduce pollution-related health risks. A reasonable approach is to limit prolonged or heavy exertion outdoors on days when air quality is unhealthy. If outdoor activities are unavoidable, they should be performed in the morning, when air quality tends to be better; and avoided in the late afternoon. For people who want to be outdoors and exercising, walking may be a better choice than jogging. Areas where pollutant levels are likely to be especially high, such as busy highways, should be avoided.
Patients are also advised to watch for symptoms possibly related to air pollution exposure, such as chest pain or tightness, cough, wheezing, and shortness of breath. Those with respiratory diseases such as asthma should be sure to carry their "rescue" inhalers.
"We believe these simple actions may help reduce the risk of adverse events due to air pollution in sensitive patient populations," Dr. Shofer and coauthors conclude. They also call for revised air quality standards to lower ambient levels of air pollutants—especially small particles and ozone.
About The American Journal of the Medical Sciences
Founded in 1820, The American Journal of the Medical Sciences is the official journal of the Southern Society for Clinical Investigation. Regular features include the Southwestern Internal Medicine Conference, Cardiology Grand Rounds of the University of North Carolina, the Consortium for Southeastern Hypertension Control, and Case Records of the VA Maryland Healthcare System/University of Maryland Medicine, as well as original articles dealing with topics such as infectious disease, rheumatology/immunology, hematology/oncology, allergy, and endocrinology. Visit the journal website at http://www.amjmedsci.com.
About the Southern Society for Clinical Investigation
Founded in 1946, the Southern Society for Clinical Investigation (SSCI) is a regional academic society dedicated to the advancement of medically-related research. Its major focus is on encouraging students and postgraduate trainees (residents and fellows) to enter academic medicine and to support junior faculty success in clinical investigation. SSCI members are committed to mentoring future generations of medical investigators and promoting careers in academic medicine. Visit the SSCI website at http://www.ssciweb.org.
About Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
Lippincott Williams & Wilkins (www.LWW.com) is a leading international publisher for healthcare professionals and students with nearly 300 periodicals and 1,500 books in more than 100 disciplines publishing under the LWW brand, as well as content-based sites and online corporate and customer services. LWW is part of Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading provider of information for professionals and students in medicine, nursing, allied health, pharmacy and the pharmaceutical industry. Wolters Kluwer Health is a division of Wolters Kluwer, a leading global information services and publishing company with annual revenues (2006) of €3.7 billion and approximately 19,900 employees worldwide. Visit www.wolterskluwer.com. |
