August 14, 2019
Long-term exposure to air pollution can exacerbate lung disease as much as a daily pack of cigarettes, a study has found.
City Air Pollution As Bad For Your Lungs As A Daily Pack Of Cigarettes
Researchers from the US looked at how exposure to four main pollutants affected lung health in more than 7,000 adults aged 45 to 84, living in six city areas.
They measured levels of fine particulate matter, nitrogen oxide, black carbon, and ozone outside participants’ homes and carried out CT scans to track the development of emphysema – a progressive lung condition that causes shortness of breath – and lung decline.
Chronic lower respiratory disease – a catch-all term for emphysema, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), chronic bronchitis, and asthma – is the third leading cause of death globally.[Read More: What Is Air Pollution And What Can We Do About It? Five Big Questions Answered]
Following up on the participants for an average of 10 years, they found that long-term exposure to all of the pollutants was linked to an increased percentage of emphysema seen on a CT scan. 
The strongest association was found with ground level ozone, which was also linked to a decline in lung function.
Ground-level ozone is produced when UV light reacts with pollutants from fossil fuels – and the process is accelerated by heatwaves. While most levels of air pollution are in decline due to successful efforts to reduce them, ozone has been increasing.
In areas with increased levels of ozone, they found an increase in emphysema roughly the equivalent of smoking a pack of cigarettes a day for 29 years.We were surprised to see how strong air pollution’s impact was on the progression of emphysema on lung scans.Dr Joel KaufmanSenior co-author Dr Joel Kaufman, from the University of Washington, said: “We were surprised to see how strong air pollution’s impact was on the progression of emphysema on lung scans, in the same league as the effects of cigarette smoking, which is by far the best-known cause of emphysema.”
The professor of environmental and occupational health sciences and epidemiology added: “We really need to understand what’s causing chronic lung disease, and it appears that air pollution exposures that are common and hard to avoid might be a major contributor.”
The authors believe ozone levels will continue to rise unless more steps are taken to reduce fossil fuel emissions and curb climate change. They said it is not clear what level of air pollutants, if any, is safe for humans.
The study, led by researchers from the University of Washington, Columbia University and the University at Buffalo, is published in the journal JAMA.READ MORE: These Are The Signs Of Lung Cancer Drinking A Bottle Of Wine Each Week Is 'As Bad As 10 Cigarettes' For Women Air Pollution May Reduce Intelligence And Increase Risk Of Dementia
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Mary Trump 'energized' as uncle 'Donald's campaign spirals into chaos'
Mar 29, 2024
Donald Trump's campaign is in chaos, and his niece says she's energized.Mary Trump, the niece of the former president and a psychologist by trade, has previously been critical of her uncle.On Thursday, she said her uncle's failures are adding up.ALSO READ: A neuroscientist reveals how Trump and Biden's cognitive impairments are different"As the RNC’s fundraising falters and Donald’s campaign spirals into chaos, I am energized!" she said in a Substack post.She then continued:"When Donald dominates the news cycle, it’s hard not to feel overwhelmed. Every bad headline has a negative impact. But then I remember something crucial: There’s usually more to the story than meets the eye. I’m determined to cut through the media noise and share with you all the good that happened this week. These are the headlines we need to remain energized and hopeful that the media largely ignored."Mary Trump goes on to highlight President Joe Biden's recent fundraising hauls."President Biden’s $155 million+ war chest has just received another turbo boost, bringing the total of cash on hand to at least $180 million. (By comparison, between his campaign and the RNC, Donald barely has over $50 million — and continues to drain the accounts to cover his absolutely staggering legal expenses)," she wrote. "This is a development that could significantly increase Biden’s ability to influence the narrative in crucial swing states."This, she says, also tells us a lot about voter excitement for Biden."While critics have expressed doubts about the degree to which the Democratic base is fired up as compared to 2020, today’s $25 million fundraiser, raised with donations ranging from $250 to $500,000, should put any doubts to rest — yes, we are absolutely behind President Biden and Vice President Harris and we’re in this fight until the end," she wrote.Read the full post here.
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