Air pollution associated with worsening emphysema

At a Glance

• Higher levels of common air pollutants were associated with increases in emphysema over a decade of follow-up.
• The results may help explain why some people who never smoked develop emphysema.

In emphysema, a type of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), tissue in the lungs becomes damaged and dies. This reduces the amount of oxygen available to the body. Emphysema causes coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and other symptoms. Eventually, it can lead to disability and death.

Most cases of emphysema are caused by smoking tobacco. But about a quarter of people diagnosed with the disease have never smoked. Studies suggest that air pollution might contribute to the development and progression of emphysema, but the link has been uncertain.

Read more at NIH…

 

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