1. Influence of air pollution on chronic obstructive respiratory diseases: comparison between city (Rome) and hillcountry environments and climates.
- Author
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Avino P, De Lisio V, Grassi M, Lucchetra MC, Messina B, Monaco G, Petraccia L, Quartieri G, Rosentzwig R, Russo MV, Spada S, and Valenzi VI
- Subjects
- Epidemiologic Studies, Humans, Prevalence, Risk Factors, Rome epidemiology, Rural Population, Urban Population, Air Pollutants poisoning, Climate, Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive epidemiology, Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive etiology
- Abstract
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases (COPDs) constitute a social problem of widespread interest. These diseases increase slowly and constantly. Air pollution and its impact on public health continually repropose certain absolute priorities, such as the pin-pointing of strategies to control the pollution sources, the planning of observational studies and the epidemic control. This work shows that a climate marked by always windy weather and low humidity and with low chemical pollutant concentrations (Pietracupa; Molise, Italy) is connected to smaller prevalence of COPDs in comparison with big cities like Rome. Living in non-polluted areas, the benefits of a healthy climate in terms of an improvement in breathing and bronchial hyperactivity reduction, may only in part be backed up by epidemic evidence; however, they are a solid base on which to build definite research projects which can effectively validate it even from an experimental point of view supported by statistics.
- Published
- 2004
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