Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 3, 2026

Generation of a Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Model in Mice by Repeated Ozone Exposure
Published on: August 25, 2017
Outdoor air pollution and respiratory health in patients with COPD
Janet L Peacock1, H Ross Anderson, Stephen A Bremner
1Department of Primary Care and Public Health Sciences, King's College London, 7th Floor Capital House, 42 Weston Street, London SE1 3QD, UK. janet.peacock@kcl.ac.uk
Objectives:
Time series studies have shown adverse effects of outdoor air pollution on mortality and hospital admissions in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) but panel studies have been inconsistent. This study investigates short-term effects of outdoor nitrogen dioxide, ozone, sulfur dioxide, particulate matter (PM(10)) and black smoke on exacerbations, respiratory symptoms and lung function in 94 patients with COPD in east London.
Methods:
Patients were recruited from an outpatient clinic and were asked to complete daily diary cards (median follow-up 518 days) recording exacerbations, symptoms and lung function, and the amount of time spent outdoors. Outdoor air pollution exposure (lag 1 day) was obtained from local background monitoring stations.
Results:
Symptoms but not lung function showed associations with raised pollution levels. Dyspnoea was significantly associated with PM(10) (increase in odds for an IQR change in pollutant: 13% (95% CI 4% to 23%)) and this association remained after adjustment for other the pollutants measured. An IQR increase in nitrogen dioxide was associated with a 6% (0-13%) increase in the odds of a symptomatic fall in peak flow rate. The corresponding effect sizes for PM(10) and black smoke were 12% (2-25%) and 7% (1-13%), respectively.
Conclusion:
It is concluded that outdoor air pollution is associated with important adverse effects on symptoms in patients with COPD living in London.
More Related Videos
05:18Measuring Carbon Content in Airway Macrophages Exposed to Carbon-Containing Particulate Matters
Published on: July 12, 2024
04:53Acupoint Application Combined with Ear Plaster Therapy for Treating Sleep Disorders with Acute Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Published on: October 18, 2024
Related Concept Videos
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Smoking is a primary risk factor for COPD, with over 80% of patients having a history of it. Patients typically experience progressive dyspnea or labored breathing, frequent coughing, and recurrent pulmonary infections. Many eventually succumb to respiratory failure, characterized by...
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease I: Introduction
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-I: Introduction
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-II: Pathophysiology
Chronic Inflammation
COPD: Management Using Bronchodilators and Corticosteroids
COPD: Pathogenesis and Clinical Features
The primary cause for the onset of COPD is cigarette smoking and exposure to air pollution. These hazardous factors initiate a chain reaction within the lungs, resulting in chronic inflammation, damage to the airways, and a...