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Stories tagged with “Asthma”

Health

England’s Smoking Ban Led To Fewer Hospitalizations, Historic Numbers Of People Quitting

By Katie Valentine on Apr 17, 2013 at 5:45 pm

England’s ban on smoking in indoor public places has been linked to a 5 percent annual drop in adult hospital admissions for asthma, according to new research.

The study, published in the journal Thorax, looked at the number of asthma-related emergency hospital admissions in England from 1997 to 2010, taking into account seasonal temperatures, changes in population size and long term trends in the prevalence of asthma. It found that since the smoking ban was implemented in July 2007, there have been 1,900 fewer asthma-related hospital admissions per year.

The study echoes other findings on the health benefits of England’s ban, which was implemented as part of a U.K.-wide effort to prohibit smoking in indoor public spaces:

  • The ban led to the largest decrease in smoking ever seen in England, with an estimated 400,000 people quitting smoking in the year after the ban was implemented, according to survey findings.
  • Asthma-related hospital admissions of children fell by 12.3 percent in the first year after the ban, and in each of the following two years fell again by more than 3 percent. Another study on a smoking ban in Scotland yielded similar results.
  • Hospital admissions for heart attacks dropped by 2.4 percent, or 1,200 patients, in the first year after the ban.

The study’s results aren’t surprising — secondhand smoke is a known trigger of asthma, and previous studies done outside of the U.K. have also linked smoking bans to a range of health benefits. One 2012 study, which examined the effects of smoking bans in a Minnesota county, found the bans contributed to a 33 percent drop in heart attacks and a 17 percent drop in the incidence of sudden cardiac death. Another, which examined reports on smoking bans in multiple countries and U.S. cities, found the bans were linked to a 15 percent decrease in hospitalizations caused by heart attacks and a 16 percent decrease in stroke-related hospitalizations. In addition, the second study found the more comprehensive the smoking ban, the greater the health benefits.

And in contrast to critics’ claims that they stifle business, smoking bans have been found to have economic benefits as well. A report from the Robert Woods Johnson Foundation last year found states that invested in anti-tobacco programs and legislation saved significantly on health care expenditures, and last month New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg lauded the city’s 2003 Smoke-Free Air Act, which prohibited smoking in restaurants and bars, as part of the reason for the 47 percent increase in the number of bars and restaurants across the city in the last 10 years.

Climate Progress

As CO2 Emissions Rise, So Will Pollen Counts And Asthma Attacks

By Katie Valentine on Mar 12, 2013 at 5:20 pm

Climate change could cause pollen counts to more than double over the next 30 years, according to an ongoing Rutgers University study.

The research, presented at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology conference in November, tested how allergenic plants respond to conditions that mimic those of a warming world, including changing weather patterns and increases in temperature and carbon dioxide.

Based on these tests, the researchers predict pollen counts could reach 21,735 particles of pollen per cubic meter by 2040 — a drastic spike from 2000’s average of 8,455. An “extremely high” pollen count for trees — which account for most of spring pollen — is 1,500. The research also predicts that, as spring arrives earlier due to climate change, pollen seasons will begin earlier as well. In 2000, pollen production began April 14 and peaked May 1, but by 2040, the researchers predict production will start more than a month earlier, peaking by April 8.

Though the research is not yet published, it lines up with what scientists already know about plants’ reactions to increased carbon dioxide and temperature. A 2002 study in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology found that ragweed, which causes most fall allergies, produces 61 percent more pollen when grown in an atmosphere with double the normal amount of carbon dioxide. A 2006 study on the same plant produced similar results. Pollen produced under high CO2 conditions may even be more highly allergenic, as Clifford Bassett, an allergist and ACAAI fellow, told CNN:

As you increase CO2, it tells the allergenic plants to produce more pollen to the tune of three to four times more, and the pollen itself, we think, may actually be more potent.

Pollen records have been off the charts over the last few years, as warm weather arrived early in many states. Last year, pollen season began early due to a mild winter and early onset of warm weather, and pollen counts across the U.S. were extremely high. In Atlanta, the pollen count reached 9,369 particles per cubic meter of air, shattering the city’s 1999 record of 6,013. Vanderbilt University in Nashville recorded a pollen count of 11,000, the highest count recorded since the university began counting 12 years ago. Many places saw similarly high counts and early pollen releases in 2010 and 2011. This year has already seen early spikes and dips in the pollen count, due to temperatures rising and falling — some places, like Gainesville, Fla., logged high pollen counts as early as January.

Higher pollen counts aren’t just uncomfortable for allergy sufferers — since allergies can trigger asthma attacks, higher pollen counts and earlier pollen releases can have serious implications for those suffering from asthma, and could even be connected to the global rise of asthma cases.

As the climate warms and springs and summers become longer, allergy seasons in fall, spring and summer could extend as well, exacerbating allergy symptoms. When allergy sufferers have no respite from symptoms, it makes them more prone to serious allergy attacks than if they had had a break between seasons.

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