NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The climate crisis may lead to worsening of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the third leading cause of death worldwide.
An analysis of data from current and former smokers with COPD in the United States found an increase in COPD exacerbations roughly two days after an increase in ambient temperatures.
Dr. Supaksh Gupta, a pulmonary and critical-care fellow at the University of Washington, in Seattle, reported the findings at the virtual European Respiratory Society (ERS) International Congress.
"With increasing temperatures worldwide attributable to the ongoing climate crisis, the risk of increased morbidity is not distributed equally amongst all individuals," Dr. Gupta told Reuters Health by email.
"Based on our research, individuals with COPD may represent one such subset of individuals at increased harm due to ongoing environmental changes," he added.
The observations are based on 1,177 current and former smokers (mean age, 64 years) with COPD enrolled in the SubPopulations and InteRmediate Outcome Measures in COPD Study (SPIROMICS) between 2010 and 2015. All of them had at least one COPD exacerbation since joining the study.
The researchers assessed the risk of COPD flareups based on local, ambient temperatures recorded on the day of the exacerbation and in the preceding week.
