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Short-term extreme increases in desert-derived particulate-matter with aerodynamic diameter below 10 μm (PM ) may affect emergency department (ED) visits due to COPD exacerbations. Our aim was to identify the effect of extreme increases in desert-derived PM on ED visits for dyspnea and COPD exacerbations and on the related hospital admissions. We performed a retrospective analysis of dyspnea-related ED visits and hospital admissions in Heraklion, Crete, during four consecutive storms of desert-derived PM that happened during March 2018. We collected data from over 17,000 ED visits and recorded patients with atopic symptoms, COPD exacerbations, and dyspnea, as well as admissions to the departments of pulmonary medicine, internal medicine, and cardiology. PM data were collected from a monitoring station in the same geographic area. Four desert dust storms were recorded during the study period with 238, 203, 1138, and 310 μg/m average-daily PM and 652, 308, 4262, and 778 μg/m hourly mean day-peak PM respectively. There was no clinically important increase in total ED visits, total admissions or admissions to the departments of cardiology, pulmonary medicine, or internal medicine, during PM peaks. However, during the desert dust storm with daily-average PM above 500 μg/m , there was a striking increase in dyspnea-related ED visits (including COPD exacerbations, 3.6-fold increase), while there was no clinically important increase in non-asthma allergy-related ED visits. Extreme desert dust storm episodes may cause meaningful increases in ED visits for dyspnea and COPD exacerbations/admissions.

After exposure to dilute diesel exhaust, men with coronary disease had increased exercise-induced myocardial ischemia, along with depressed fibrinolytic function. The data reported suggest possible mechanisms for the detrimental effect of air pollution from traffic in patients with coronary disease. After exposure to dilute diesel exhaust, men with coronary disease had increased exercise-induced myocardial ischemia, along with depressed fibrinolytic function. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that air pollution is responsible for 800,000 premature deaths worldwide each year. 1 Short-term exposure to air pollution has been associated with increases in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, with deaths due to ischemia, arrhythmia, and heart failure. 2 In a large cohort study from the United States, Miller et al. recently reported that long-term exposure to air pollution increases the risk of death from cardiovascular disease by 76%. 3 These associations are strongest for fine particulate air pollutants (particulate matter of less than 2.5 μm in aerodynamic diameter [PM 2.5 ]), of which the combustion-derived nanoparticulate in . . .

ObjectiveThe association between exposure to ambient particles with a median aerodynamic diameter less than 10/2.5 µm (particulate matter, PM10/2.5) and COPD remains unclear. Our study objective was to examine the association between ambient PM10/2.5 concentrations and lung functions in adults.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted in southern China. Seven clusters were randomly selected from four cities across Guangdong province. Residents aged ≥20 years in the participating clusters were randomly recruited; all eligible participants were examined with a standardised questionnaire and spirometry. COPD was defined as a post-bronchodilator FEV1/FVC less than 70%. Atmosphere PM sampling was conducted across the clusters along with our survey.ResultsOf the subjects initially recruited, 84.4% (n=5993) were included for analysis. COPD prevalence and atmosphere PM concentration varied significantly among the seven clusters. COPD prevalence was significantly associated with elevated PM concentration levels: adjusted OR 2.416 (95% CI 1.417 to 4.118) for >35 and ≤75 µg/m3 and 2.530 (1.280 to 5.001) for >75 µg/m3 compared with the level of ≤35 µg/m3 for PM2.5; adjusted OR 2.442 (95% CI 1.449 to 4.117) for >50 and ≤150 µg/m3 compared with the level of ≤50 µg/m3 for PM1. A 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 concentrations was associated with a 26 mL (95% CI −43 to −9) decrease in FEV1, a 28 mL (−49 to −8) decrease in FVC and a 0.09% decrease (−0.170 to −0.010) in FEV1/FVC ratio. The associations of COPD with PM10 were consistent with PM2.5 but slightly weaker.ConclusionsExposure to higher PM concentrations was strongly associated with increased COPD prevalence and declined respiratory function.Trial registration number ChiCTR-OO-14004264; Post-results.

In this randomized trial involving pregnant women in low- and middle-income countries, birth weight was not higher among infants born to women who used LPG stoves than among those born to women who used biomass stoves.

IntroductionElevated particulate matter (PM) concentrations of anthropogenic and/or desert dust origin are associated with increased morbidity among children with asthma.ObjectiveThe Mitigating the Health Effects of Desert Dust Storms Using Exposure-Reduction Approaches randomised controlled trial assessed the impact of exposure reduction recommendations, including indoor air filtration, on childhood asthma control during high desert dust storms (DDS) season in Cyprus and Greece.Design, participants, interventions and settingPrimary school children with asthma were randomised into three parallel groups: (a) no intervention (controls); (b) outdoor intervention (early alerts notifications, recommendations to stay indoors and limit outdoor physical activity during DDS) and (c) combined intervention (same as (b) combined with indoor air purification with high efficiency particulate air filters in children’s homes and school classrooms. Asthma symptom control was assessed using the childhood Asthma Control Test (c-ACT), spirometry (forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC)) and fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO).ResultsIn total, 182 children with asthma (age; mean=9.5, SD=1.63) were evaluated during 2019 and 2021. After three follow-up months, the combined intervention group demonstrated a significant improvement in c-ACT in comparison to controls (β=2.63, 95% CI 0.72 to 4.54, p=0.007), which was more profound among atopic children (β=3.56, 95% CI 0.04 to 7.07, p=0.047). Similarly, FEV1% predicted (β=4.26, 95% CI 0.54 to 7.99, p=0.025), the need for any asthma medication and unscheduled clinician visits, but not FVC% and FeNO, were significantly improved in the combined intervention compared with controls.ConclusionRecommendations to reduce exposure and use of indoor air filtration in areas with high PM pollution may improve symptom control and lung function in children with asthma.Trial registration number NCT03503812.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a key factor in epigenetic regulation of gene expression, but miRNA responses to fine particulate matter (PM ) air pollution and their potential contribution to cardiovascular effects of PM are unknown. We explored the potential influence of PM on the expression of selected cytokines relevant to systemic inflammation, coagulation, and vasoconstriction, and on miRNAs that may regulate their expression. We designed a double-blind, randomized crossover study in which true and sham air purifiers were used to expose 55 healthy young adult students in Shanghai, China, to reduced or ambient levels of indoor PM during two-week periods, and we measured the expression (mRNA and protein) of 10 serum cytokines, and miRNAs that target them, after each intervention period. We used linear mixed-effect models to estimate associations of the intervention, and time-weighted personal PM exposures, with the cytokines, mRNA, and miRNAs; we also explored potential mediation by miRNAs. The findings were generally consistent for associations with the intervention and for associations with an interquartile range increase in time-weighted PM . Specifically, higher PM exposure was positively associated with the expression (mRNA, protein, or both) of interleukin-1 (encoded by ), IL6, tumor necrosis factor (encoded by ), toll-like receptor 2 (encoded by ), coagulation factor 3 (encoded by ), and endothelin 1 (encoded by ), and was negatively associated with miRNAs (miR-21-5p, miR-187-3p, miR-146a-5p, miR-1-3p, and miR-199a-5p) predicted to target mRNAs of , , , and . Our findings require confirmation but suggest that effects of PM on cardiovascular diseases may be related to acute effects on cytokine expression, which may be partly mediated through effects of PM on miRNAs that regulate cytokine expression. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP1447.

In a randomized trial involving pregnant women in low- and middle-income countries, the use of LPG stoves in place of biomass stoves did not result in a lower risk of stunting in offspring, despite lower levels of household air pollutants.

In this trial involving pregnant women in low- and middle-income countries, cooking with LPG instead of biomass did not lead to a lower incidence of severe infant pneumonia, despite lower levels of household air pollutants.