Chest
Volume 80, Issue 1, Supplement, July 1981, Pages 23S-26S
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Longterm Exposure to Air Pollution and Decline in VC and FEV1: Recent Results from a Longitudinal Epidemiologic Study in the Netherlands

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Results

One of the aims of our studies was to test whether our hypothesis that there would be more individuals with chronic obstructive lung diseases in Vlaardingen than in Vlagtwedde was true. Therefore, on the one hand, we compared the frequency of hypersecretion in both areas of residence and, on the other, we studied whether more men and women with signs of airways obstruction (increased airways resistance) were present in Vlaardingen. As regards the hypersecretion, the prevalence and incidence of

Conclusion

Our conclusion is that exposure to moderate air pollution levels causes a significantly greater decline in VC and FEV1 with increasing age than is found in nonexposed individuals. This “effect” of exposure to air pollution can be distinguished when the slope of the individual regressions in VC and FEV1 with increasing age is based on several measurements over a long time (± 10 years). The effect can be distinguished even when no association has been found between exposure to such air pollution

Discussion

Dr. Brooks, Cincinnati: The level of air pollution was decreasing over the period of your study. Might there be some other factors such as occupation?

Dr. Van der Lende: We tried to standardize for occupation using history of exposure in the questionnaire, and this did not explain the differences.

Dr. Brain: Is the difference between the two communities in rate of decline of FEV1 important?

Dr. Van der Lende: The effect of very heavy smoking is about double the effect of pollution.

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There are more references available in the full text version of this article.

Cited by (10)

  • Changes in lung function in European adults born between 1884 and 1996 and implications for the diagnosis of lung disease: a cross-sectional analysis of ten population-based studies

    2022, The Lancet Respiratory Medicine
    Citation Excerpt :

    Nine studies also provided pre-bronchodilator FVC (mL), FVC in percentages of predicted normal values, and FEV1/FVC ratio. The Vlagtwedde-Vlaardingen study18 measured vital capacity, rather than FVC, so participants in this study were excluded from analyses reliant on FVC values. Individual percentages of predicted normal values were calculated according to Global Lung Function Initiative 2012 reference equations.8

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Supported by grants from the Organization for Health Research TNO and the Netherlands Asthma Foundation (NAF).

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