Longitudinal study of respiratory function and symptoms in a non-smoking group of long-term officially-acknowledged victims of pollution-related illness

BMC Public Health

Hideaki Senjyu²  Sumihisa Honda²  Ryo Kozu¹  Yudai Yano²  Kenji Kotaki²  Naomi Miyamoto²  Tsuyoshi Nishinakagawa²  Yorihide Yanagita²  Masaharu Asai²  Takako Tanaka² 

[1] Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Nagasaki University Hospital, 1-7-1 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8501, Japan;Department of Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Science, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, 1-7-1 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8520, Japan

关键词: Longitudinal study;    Respiratory symptoms;    Respiratory function;    Pollution-related illness;    Air pollution;   

Others  :  1161916
DOI  :  10.1186/1471-2458-13-766

 received in 2013-03-11, accepted in 2013-08-14,  发布年份 2013

【 摘 要 】

Background

Air pollution is known to be a leading cause of respiratory symptoms. Many cross-sectional studies reported that air pollution caused respiratory disease in Japanese individuals in the 1960s. Japan has laws regulating air pollution levels and providing compensation for victims of pollution-related respiratory disease. However, long-term changes in respiratory function and symptoms in individuals who were exposed to air pollution in the 1960s have not been well studied. This study aimed to investigate longitudinal respiratory function and symptoms in older, non-smoking, long-term officially-acknowledged victims of pollution-related illness.

Methods

The study included 563 officially-acknowledged victims of pollution-related illness living in Kurashiki, Okayama who were aged ≥ 65 years in 2009. Data were retrospectively collected from yearly respiratory symptom questionnaires and spirometry examinations conducted from 2000 to 2009.

Results

Respiratory function declined significantly from 2000 to 2009 (p < 0.01), but the mean annual changes were relatively small. The change in mean vital capacity was −40.5 ml/year in males and −32.7 ml/year in females, and the change in mean forced expiratory volume in 1 second was −27.6 ml/year in males and −23.9 ml/year in females. Dyspnea was the only symptom that worsened significantly from 2000 to 2009 in both sexes (males: p < 0.05, females: p < 0.01).

Conclusions

Our results suggest that the high concentrations of air pollutants around 1970 resulted in a decrease in respiratory function and an increase in respiratory symptoms in the study population. From 2000 to 2009, the mean annual changes in respiratory function were within the normal range, even though the severity of dyspnea worsened. The changes in respiratory function and symptoms over the study period were probably due to aging. The laws governing air pollution levels and providing compensation for officially-acknowledged victims of pollution-related illness in Japan may be effective for respiratory disease cause by pollution.

【 授权许可】

   
2013 Tanaka et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

【 图 表 】

Figure 1.

Figure 2.

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