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JACI Highlights - January 2009Exposure to traffic: Lung function and health status in adults with asthmaJohn R. Balmes, MD, Gillian Earnest, MS, Patricia P. Katz, PhD, Edward H. Yelin, PhD, Mark D. Eisner, MD, MPH, Hubert Chen, MD, Laura Trupin, MPH, Fred Lurmann, MS, Paul D. Blanc, MD Traffic-generated pollutants have been found in high concentrations in most U.S. cities and towns, and exposure to those pollutants may be more relevant to human health than any other ambient air pollution. This pollution contains particles and gases that are known to have negative health effects, particularly chronic asthma in children. The exposure to traffic-generated air pollution has been well-studied in children but not in adults. In a study to be published in an upcoming issue of The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (JACI), Balmes, et al. test the hypothesis that traffic exposure is associated with decreased lung function and health status in adults. The researchers measured the lung function, health status and quality of life of 176 adults with asthma or rhinitis and found that the farther residences were from a roadway, the better the subjects’ lung function. Smoking, obesity, and socioeconomic status did not substantially affect the association between traffic exposure and lung function. Interestingly, the findings suggest that the distance from a residence to any roadway, even one with low levels of traffic, was a strong predictor of lung function. These results confirm similar findings reported in studies of children and suggest the need to control all traffic emissions rather than specific pollutants which is the current approach in Europe and North America.
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