Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2018 Mar 28:13:1053-1059.
doi: 10.2147/COPD.S156617. eCollection 2018.

Harmful impact of air pollution on severe acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: particulate matter is hazardous

Juwhan Choi  1 , Jee Youn Oh  1 , Young Seok Lee  1 , Kyung Hoon Min  1 , Gyu Young Hur  1 , Sung Yong Lee  1 , Kyung Ho Kang  1 , Jae Jeong Shim  1
Affiliations

Harmful impact of air pollution on severe acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: particulate matter is hazardous

Juwhan Choi et al. Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis. .

Abstract

Introduction: Particulate matter and air pollution in Korea are becoming worse. There is a lack of research regarding the impact of particulate matter on patients with COPD. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of various air pollution factors, including particulate matter, on the incidence rate of severe acute exacerbations of COPD (AECOPD) events.

Methods: We analyzed the relationship between air pollutants and AECOPD events that required hospitalization at Guro Hospital in Korea from January 1, 2015 to May 31, 2017. We used general linear models with Poisson distribution and log-transformation to obtain adjusted relative risk (RR). We conducted further analysis through the Comprehensive Air-quality Index (CAI) that is used in Korea.

Results: Among various other air pollutants, particulate matter was identified as a major source of air pollution in Korea. When the CAI score was over 50, the incidence rate of severe AECOPD events was statistically significantly higher [RR 1.612, 95% CI, 1.065-2.440, P=0.024]. Additionally, the particulate matter levels 3 days before hospitalization were statistically significant [RR 1.003, 95% CI, 1.001-1.005, P=0.006].

Conclusion: Particulate matter and air pollution increase the incidence rate of severe AECOPD events. COPD patients should be cautioned against outdoor activities when particulate matter levels are high.

Keywords: COPD; acute exacerbation; air pollution; air quality index; particulate matter.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Monthly average data related to air pollutants and number of inpatients per day. (A) Monthly average CAI, PM10, and PM2.5. (B) Monthly average humidity and temperature. (C) Monthly average number of inpatients (patients admitted to hospital for AECOPD) per day. Notes: The average from January to May is from 2015 to 2017; the average from June to December is from 2015 to 2016. Abbreviations: CAI, Comprehensive Air-quality Index; PM10, particulate matter with a diameter of less than 10 µm; PM2.5, particulate matter with a diameter of less than 2.5 µm.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Association of PM10, CAI and severe AECOPD events after adjustment for humidity and temperature. (A) The association of PM10 and severe AECOPD events. (B) The association of CAI and severe AECOPD events. Abbreviations: PM10, particulate matter with a diameter of less than 10 µm; CAI, Comprehensive Air-quality Index; AECOPD, acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Comment in

References

    1. Colao A, Muscogiuri G, Piscitelli P. Environment and health: not only cancer. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2016;13(7):724. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Wang J, Zhao B, Wang S, et al. Particulate matter pollution over China and the effects of control policies. Sci Total Environ. 2017;584-585:426–447. - PubMed
    1. Kamimura A, Armenta B, Nourian M, Assasnik N, Nourian K, Chernenko A. Perceived environmental pollution and its impact on health in China, Japan, and South Korea. J Prev Med Public Health. 2017;50(3):188–194. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Thach TQ, Tsang H, Cao P, Ho LM. A novel method to construct an air quality index based on air pollution profiles. Int J Hyg Environ Health. 2018;221(1):17–26. - PubMed
    1. Choi G, Heo S, Lee JT. Assessment of environmental injustice in Korea using synthetic air quality index and multiple indicators of socioeconomic status: A cross-sectional study. J Air Waste Manag Assoc. 2016;66(1):28–37. - PubMed

MeSH terms