RightHealth Daily Dose » air

Improved Air Quality Reduces Ear Infections

Steven — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 08:26:16 +0000

Here’s an interesting correlation: reduction in air pollution leads to fewer ear infections in children. A study, presented at the 2009 meeting of the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation, analyzed U.S. data on 126,060 children from 1997 to 2007 and found that frequent otitis media (three or more ear infections in a 12-month period) decreased as air quality improved, as measured by the Environmental Protection Agency. The researchers noted that previous smaller studies have linked cleaner air with reductions in incidence of ear infections, but this was the first large study to look at this correlation. They also believe that continued efforts to reduce air pollution will continue to further reduce ear infection rates. [via CBS News]

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Long Term Ozone Exposure Linked To Respiratory Deaths

Steven — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 05:40:58 +0000

New York University researchers published in the New England Journal of Medicine today that long term exposure to high levels of ozone, a main component of smog, is linked to an increased risk of death from respiratory diseases. Many studies have linked ozone to poor health, and others have shown that high-ozone days are linked to increased risk of acute health problems the next day, such as more asthma and heart attacks. However, this is the first study to demonstrate the effects of long term ozone exposure. In fact, the risk of dying from respiratory disease was more than 30 per cent higher in metropolitan areas with the highest ozone levels. During the 18-year study the city with the highest mean daily maximum ozone concentration was Riverside, California; the lowest ozone city was San Francisco. But even so, the average amount of ozone in San Francisco correlated with a 14 percent increase in death from respiratory diseases.

Potential Link Between Diabetes And Air Pollution

Steven — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 06:55:10 +0000

It seems that anything is a risk factor for disease nowadays, and environmental pollution is one of the top culprits. While we know that diet and exercise can play a role in the development of type 2 diabetes, a new Ohio State University Medical Center study has found a strong connection between the disease and air pollution. When studying mice with diabetes, every mouse that was exposed to a high fat diet, along with exposure to inhaled particulates, had marked worsening of diabetes. Tests show that air pollution can cause inflammation, increase in body fat, and disruption in insulin processing, which is a hallmark of diabetes. Although this was a mouse study, it’s interesting to note that the greatest increase in diabetes in humans are occurring in urban areas where people are more frequently exposed to air of poor quality.