New study shows associations between air pollution and lung health in Canada. Dr. Jean Bourbeau, Dr. Benjamin Smith and Dany Doiron, PhD demonstrate that exposure to relatively low levels of air pollution in Canada is associated with lower lung function and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
While tobacco smoke is the best-known risk factor for COPD, up to half of COPD cases worldwide are due to non-tobacco-related risk factors. These include occupational exposures, infectious diseases, early life events and air pollution. Recent studies by Dr. Benjamin Smith have shown that smaller airways relative to lung size are another major risk factor for COPD, even among individuals who have never smoked. However, until now, the interaction between air pollution and this condition called dysanapsis was unknown.
“Our results suggest that a relatively important proportion of the Canadian population is particularly susceptible to inhaled air pollutants… While exposure to air pollution during childhood has been shown to adversely affect lung function and lung development, our study suggests that early-life lung development could in turn play a key role in protecting from, or increasing susceptibility to, air pollution-induced reductions in lung function and COPD in adulthood”
Benjamin Smith
Dr. Jean Bourbeau is a Professor of Medicine at McGill University, Senior Scientist at the RI-MUHC, Member of RECRU, and Associate Member of the Meakins-Christie Laboratories. Dr. Benjamin Smith is am Associate Professor of Medicine at McGill University, Scientist at the RI-MUHC, Member of RECRU, and Associate Member of the Meakins-Christie Laboratories.
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New study shows associations between air pollution and respiratory health in Canada
RI-MUHC researchers demonstrate that exposure to relatively low levels of air pollution in Canada is associated with lower lung function and COPD. RI-MUHC News. May 26, 2022.
Read the Full study in AJRCCM
Ambient Air Pollution and Dysanapsis: Associations with Lung Function and COPD in the CanCOLD Study.
Bourbeau J, Doiron D, Biswas S, Smith BM, Benedetti A, Brook JR, Aaron SD, Chapman KR, Hernandez P, Maltais F, Marciniuk DD, O’Donnell D, Sin DD, Walker B, Dsilva L, Nadeau G, Coats V, Compton C, Miller BE, Tan WC; CanCOLD Collaborative Research Group and the Canadian Respiratory Research Network.
Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2022 Apr 5. Online ahead of print. PMID: 35380941