Patients who have had a lung transplant are more likely to have a transplant rejection or die if they live near a busy road.
It is not good to live near major highways – especially for lung transplant patients. In fact, patients who have undergone such an operation would be more likely to have a transplant rejection or to die if they live near a road traffic area than if they live in an area with little pollution.
10% surrender
This observation, resulting from a study carried out at the University of Louvain (Belgium), was presented this Tuesday at the annual congress of the European Respiratory Society. According to the authors of this work, the risks of discharge and death are increased by 10% near heavy traffic roads, where the pollution rate exceeds the thresholds set by the WHO – which is the case for most major highways, at certain times of the day, at least.
“Short- and medium-term exposure to air pollution is linked to an increase in deaths from respiratory diseases, especially in populations at risk,” said David Ruttens, who led the trials. Patients who have undergone a lung transplant are among the most vulnerable populations ”.
50% death
Above the ring road, near the main roads, they are the ones to drink first. To reach this conclusion, the authors collected data from 5,707 transplant recipients, received in medical centers in ten countries in Europe from 1987 to 2012. By evaluating the density of road traffic near the patients’ homes, they proceeded to an estimate of the number of PM10 particles to which they have been exposed. Other factors were taken into account (age, sex, socio-economic status, smoking, etc.).
During an average follow-up of five and a half years, 2,577 patients (45%) died and 2,688 (47%) were rejected. With an over-representation of people living in areas polluted by traffic.
About 50% of lung transplant patients survive within five years of their operation. This rate, lower than for other organ transplants, is due to a large number of graft rejection. Air pollution could be one of the causes, researchers say.
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