Study: How to Save $15MM – Infant Hospitalizations & Air Pollution
Filed under: A Message from the Doctor, Caring for Your Children
REGIONAL AIR POLLUTION LINKED TO RESPIRATORY DISEASES IN CHILDREN
Researchers have concluded that, based on data from 1999 to 2007, higher levels of fine particulate matter, a type of air pollutant, in the areas surrounding some hospitals is associated with a greater cost for hospitalizations of infants aged one month to one year for bronchiolitis, a type of viral lung infection with symptoms similar to asthma.
Few studies have looked at the link between air pollution and infectious respiratory illness in children.
The team calculated that hypothetically, reducing the average level of fine particulate pollutant in the US to just 7% below the annual standard level would result in an annual saving of $15 million in healthcare costs.
This just-released study will appear in a future issue of the journal Health Affairs and is accessible online now at http://bit.ly/mwnVey without fee.
In a separate study, researchers found that, despite a reduction in healthcare costs related to lead exposure and asthma in children, environmental chemical factors may still have been behind 3.5 percent of the entire US healthcare budget in 2008 – which is estimated to be $76.6 BILLION. This study, which will appear in a future issue of Health Affairs, is available online at http://bit.ly/iVplkT without fee.
Living Near Busy Roadways Increases Your Risk of Allergies & Asthma
LIVING NEAR BUSY ROADWAYS INCREASES RISKS OF ALLERGIES, ASTHMA
A study conducted by an international team of lung experts has found that living immediately next to a busy roadway increases the risk of developing allergies by 30% and raises the 
risk of acquiring asthma by 100%.
Allergies linked to traffic-related pollution included allergies to dust mites, per hairs and mold. The risks of developing asthma or allergies were increased most nearest to roads where a steady stream of traffic flowed down several lanes unimpeded all day long. Although previous studies have linked traffic pollution to self-reported asthma symptoms, this is the first study known to establish a connection between traffic pollution and the actual origins of asthma.
People who do not outgrow their asthma by their early teens are twice as likely to remain asthmatic throughout adulthood. The study included home visits to measure environmental pollutants and lung function.
The team plans to study the biological effect of specific traffic pollutants. This study was released January 18, 2011 but will not appear in print until a future issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. It can be read online at http://bit.ly/f47cSi.
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To check the air quality near your child’s school, click here: Smokestack Report.
Air Pollution & Cardiovascular Risk
Evidence is growing that air pollution, especially fine particulate matter, can trigger cardiovascular death within a few hours of exposure among those who are at risk.
Long-term exposure can shorten lifespan by a few months to a few years. To cut the risk of pollution-triggered death, seek treatment for underlying heart risk factors: blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes and smoking. Also, those with heart problems should monitor air quality reports and stay indoors or limit activity during high-particulate days.
For guidance, speak to your natural health practitioner.
For systemic environmental detoxification, visit our site on our Healthy Detoxification Kit: http://tinyurl.com/33nvhe5.
For detailed information, visit the American Heart Association article on Circulation: http://bit.ly/cQhl4g.
