The chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a bronchial inflammation which causes difficulty in breathing. While 90% of cases are caused by tobacco, 10% are caused by exposure to air containing harmful dust and gases. Air pollution peaks, episodes of high concentrations of particles (PM10) and fine particles (PM2.5) and of nitrogen dioxide and ozone, therefore do not improve the health of those who suffer from them. This is confirmed by thePolluCOPD studyled by the Amiens-Picardie University Hospital and the Hauts-de-France Air Observatory (ATMO).
To identify the impact of pollution peaks on this population, which is more sensitive to atmospheric changes, the researchers analyzed data from 168 patients suffering from advanced COPD, with an average age of 69.2 years. Between January 1 and December 31, 2017, these patients consulted the CHU Amiens-Picardie or the Clinique de l’Europe in Amiens 240 times for exacerbations of pathology, i.e. worsening of their cough. This sometimes requires hospitalization, as it increases the risk of heart disease. Most of the participants lived in peri-urban areas.
Pollution peaks, consultation peaks
“Of these 168 patients, almost a quarter had 2 or more exacerbations. […] 2 patients had 7 passages and one patient 12 passages », note the researchers. To understand the drivers of these exacerbations, they compared them with air quality data over the same period. However, peaks in emergency room consultations and/or hospitalizations have been observed following pollution peaks. It should be noted, however, that 96.4% of patients had a history of smoking.
However, the annual regulatory values were respected by all the Amiens Métropole measurement stations in 2017, except for the “long-term objectives for the protection of health […] for ozone, as well as the quality objective for fine particles PM2.5 ». Scientists thus specify that in winter, “the increases in consultations took place between 3 and 5 days after the start of the PM10 particle pollution episode and also linked to the flu”. In summer, “the heat wave had an impact on the peak of consultations observed, concomitant with a peak of ozone”.
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