Scottish researchers found a correlation between long-term exposure to air pollution and a higher risk of hospital admission for both physical and mental health conditions.
Cumulative exposure to air pollution over several years is linked to a heightened risk of admission to hospital for mental/behavioral and physical illness, finds Scottish research published in the open access journal BMJ Open. Stricter environmental restrictions are needed to curb the impact on secondary care, conclude the researchers.
Previously published research on the health effects of long term exposure to ambient air pollution has tended to emphasize deaths rather than hospital admissions, and physical, rather than mental, ill health, suggest the researchers. In a bid to plug this knowledge gap, the researchers drew on individual level data from the Scottish Longitudinal Study, which represents 5% of the Scottish population and includes demographic information from linked censuses. In all, 202,237 people aged 17 and above were included in the analysis. Their health and hospital admissions for all causes; cardiovascular, respiratory, or infectious diseases; and mental illness/behaviour disorders were tracked from Public Health Scotland data and linked to levels of 4 key pollutants for each of the years between 2002 and 2017 inclusive. The 4 pollutants from road traffic and industry comprised: nitrogen dioxide (NO2); sulphur dioxide (SO2); particulate matter diameter of at least 10 μm (PM10); and small particulate matter of 2.5 μm or less (PM2.5) per 1 km2 in each person's residential postcode. Fluctuations in pollutant levels were observed across the study period, with higher levels recorded in 2002–04. Over the entire period 2002–17 average levels of NO2, SO2, PM10 and PM2.5 were 12, 2, just over 11, and just over 7 μg/m3, respectively. The average annual levels for NO2, PM10 and PM2.5 were lower than the 2005 World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, but the levels of NO2 and PM2.5 were higher than the most recent 2021 WHO guideline
Air Pollution Hospital Admissions Mental Health Physical Health Environmental Restrictions
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Long-term air pollution exposure linked to venous thromboembolism riskA large study found that greater exposure to long-term air pollution was linked with increased risks for blood clots that can occur in deep veins, which, if untreated, can block blood flow and cause serious complications, even death.
Read more »
Short-term menopausal hormone therapy shows no long-term cognitive effectsShort-term menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) did not have long-term cognitive effects when given to women in early postmenopause, according to a study published November 21st in the open-access journal PLOS Medicine by Carey Gleason from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA, and colleagues.
Read more »
Forget Short-Term Noise Oil Prices Are All About the Long-Term TrendOil prices wobble around inflation-driven trends, and long-term projections are best made with a ruler, not complex models.
Read more »
Kirklees MPs criticise council's plan for smaller binsKirklees four Labour MPs say the 'short-term financial fix' could lead to 'long-term issues'.
Read more »
Climate crisis and air pollution could risk 30 million lives annually by 2100Deaths caused by extreme temperatures are expected to surpass those caused by air pollution in the UK
Read more »
Lindsey Buckingham Seeks Long-Term Restraining Order of Protection Against Alleged StalkerFleetwood Mac's Lindsey Buckingham is taking legal action against a woman who has allegedly been stalking him and his family for three years. He recently experienced a false 911 call that led to a police raid at his house, where he was handcuffed and questioned.
Read more »