Association between PM10 exposure and risk of myocardial infarction in adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Air pollution has several negative health effects. Particulate matter (PM) is a pollutant that is often linked to health adversities. PM2.5 (PM with an aerodynamic diameter of ≤2.5µm) exposure has been associated with negative cardiovascular (CV) outcomes. However, the impact of PM10 (PM with an aerodynamic diameter of ≤10µm) exposure is often overlooked due to its limited ability to pass the alveolar barrier. This study aims to assess the association between PM10 exposure and risk of myocardial infarction (MI) amongst adults (≥18 years of age) as this has been poorly studied. METHODS: The study protocol was published on the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) (CRD42023409796) on March 31, 2023. Literature searches were conducted on 4 databases (Ovid Medline, Embase, CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature), and Web of Science) on January 17, 2023, for studies looking at associations between PM and MI. English studies from all time periods were assessed. Studies selected for review were time-series, case-crossover, and cohort studies which investigated the risk of MI as an outcome upon PM10 exposure. The quality of evidence was assessed using Cochrane's Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. Data for different risk outcomes (risk ratio (RR), odds ratio (OR), hazard ratio (HR)) and 3 lags was meta-analyzed using an inverse variance statistical analysis using a random effects model. The pooled effect sizes and the 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were reported in forest plots. RESULTS: Among the 1,099 studies identified, 41 were included for review and 23 were deemed eligible for meta-analysis. Our analysis revealed that there is an increased risk (OR = 1.01; 95% CI:1.00-1.02) of MI with a 10 µg/m3 increase in PM10 after a lag 0 and lag 1 delay. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that PM10 exposure is associated with an increased risk of MI. This can aid in informing environmental policy-making, personal-level preventative measures, and global public health action.

Health trends in Canada 1990-2019: An analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study.

OBJECTIVE: Monitoring trends in key population health indicators is important for informing health policies. The aim of this study was to examine population health trends in Canada over the past 30 years in relation to other countries. METHODS: We used data on disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), years of life lost (YLL), years lived with disability, life expectancy (LE), and child mortality for Canada and other countries between 1990 and 2019 provided by the Global Burden of Disease Study. RESULTS: Life expectancy, age-standardized YLL, and age-standardized DALYs all improved in Canada between 1990 and 2019, although the rate of improvement has leveled off since 2011. The top five causes of all-age DALYs in Canada in 2019 were neoplasms, cardiovascular diseases, musculoskeletal disorders, neurological disorders, and mental disorders. The greatest increases in all-age DALYs since 1990 were observed for substance use, diabetes and chronic kidney disease, and sense organ disorders. Age-standardized DALYs declined for most conditions, except for substance use, diabetes and chronic kidney disease, and musculoskeletal disorders, which increased by 94.6%, 14.6%, and 7.3% respectively since 1990. Canada's world ranking for age-standardized DALYs declined from 9th place in 1990 to 24th in 2019. CONCLUSION: Canadians are healthier today than in 1990, but progress has slowed in Canada in recent years in comparison with other high-income countries. The growing burden of substance abuse, diabetes/chronic kidney disease, and musculoskeletal diseases will require continued action to improve population health.

RéSUMé: OBJECTIF: La surveillance des tendances des indicateurs clés de la santé de la population est importante pour éclairer les politiques de santé. Dans cette étude, nous avons examiné les tendances de la santé de la population au Canada au cours des 30 dernières années par rapport à d'autres pays. MéTHODES: Nous avons utilisé des données sur les années de vie ajustées en fonction de l'incapacité (DALY), les années de vie perdues (YLL), les années vécues avec un handicap, l'espérance de vie (LE) et la mortalité infantile pour le Canada et d'autres pays entre 1990 et 2019, fournies par l'Étude mondiale sur le fardeau de la maladie. RéSULTATS: L'espérance de vie, les YLL ajustées selon l'âge et les DALY ajustées selon l'âge ont tous connu une amélioration au Canada entre 1990 et 2019, bien que le taux d'amélioration se soit stabilisé depuis 2011. Les cinq principales causes des DALY pour tous les âges au Canada en 2019 étaient les néoplasmes, les maladies cardiovasculaires, les affections musculosquelettiques, les affections neurologiques et les troubles mentaux. Les plus fortes augmentations des DALY pour tous les âges depuis 1990 ont été observées pour l'usage de substances, le diabète et les maladies rénales chroniques, ainsi que les troubles des organes sensoriels. Les DALY ajustées selon l'âge ont diminué pour la plupart des conditions, à l'exception de l'usage de substances, du diabète et des maladies rénales chroniques, ainsi que des troubles musculosquelettiques, qui ont augmenté de 94,6 %, 14,6 % et 7,3 % respectivement depuis 1990. Le classement mondial du Canada pour les DALY ajustées selon l'âge est diminué de la 9ième place en 1990 à la 24ième place en 2019. CONCLUSION: Les Canadiens sont en meilleure santé aujourd'hui qu'en 1990, mais les progrès se sont ralentis ces dernières années par rapport à d'autres pays à revenu élevé. La croissance du fardeau lié à l'abus de substances, au diabète/maladies rénales chroniques et aux affections musculosquelettiques exigera des actions continues pour améliorer la santé de la population.

Effects of ambient air pollution on obesity and ectopic fat deposition: a protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Globally, the prevalence of obesity tripled from 1975 to 2016. There is evidence that air pollution may contribute to the obesity epidemic through an increase in oxidative stress and inflammation of adipose tissue. However, the impact of air pollution on body weight at a population level remains inconclusive. This systematic review and meta-analysis will estimate the association of ambient air pollution with obesity, distribution of ectopic adipose tissue, and the incidence and prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease among adults. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The study will follow the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines for conduct and reporting. The search will include the following databases: Ovid Medline, Embase, PubMed, Web of Science and Latin America and the Caribbean Literature on Health Sciences, and will be supplemented by a grey literature search. Each article will be independently screened by two reviewers, and relevant data will be extracted independently and in duplicate. Study-specific estimates of associations and their 95% Confidence Intervals will be pooled using a DerSimonian and Laird random-effects model, implemented using the RevMan software. The I2 statistic will be used to assess interstudy heterogeneity. The confidence in the body of evidence will be assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: As per institutional policy, ethical approval is not required for secondary data analysis. In addition to being published in a peer-reviewed journal and presented at conferences, the results of the meta-analysis will be shared with key stakeholders, health policymakers and healthcare professionals. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42023423955.

Burden, determinants, consequences and care of multimorbidity in rural and urbanising Telangana, India: protocol for a mixed-methods study within the APCAPS cohort.

INTRODUCTION: The epidemiological and demographic transitions are leading to a rising burden of multimorbidity (co-occurrence of two or more chronic conditions) worldwide. Evidence on the burden, determinants, consequences and care of multimorbidity in rural and urbanising India is limited, partly due to a lack of longitudinal and objectively measured data on chronic health conditions. We will conduct a mixed-methods study nested in the prospective Andhra Pradesh Children and Parents' Study (APCAPS) cohort to develop a data resource for understanding the epidemiology of multimorbidity in rural and urbanising India and developing interventions to improve the prevention and care of multimorbidity. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: We aim to recruit 2100 APCAPS cohort members aged 45+ who have clinical and lifestyle data collected during a previous cohort follow-up (2010-2012). We will screen for locally prevalent non-communicable, infectious and mental health conditions, alongside cognitive impairments, disabilities and frailty, using a combination of self-reported clinical diagnosis, symptom-based questionnaires, physical examinations and biochemical assays. We will conduct in-depth interviews with people with varying multimorbidity clusters, their informal carers and local healthcare providers. Deidentified data will be made available to external researchers. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The study has received approval from the ethics committees of the National Institute of Nutrition and Indian Institute of Public Health Hyderabad, India and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK. Meta-data and data collection instruments will be published on the APCAPS website alongside details of existing APCAPS data and the data access process (www.lshtm.ac.uk/research/centres-projects-groups/apcaps).

Burden of chronic cough on social participation, healthcare resource utilisation and activities of daily living in the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA).

BACKGROUND: Chronic cough is a common troublesome condition, but it is unclear whether dry or productive chronic cough and sex, impacts the burden of cough differently. METHODS: The Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging is a nationally generalizable, stratified random sample of adults aged 45-85 years. Chronic cough was identified based on a self-reported daily cough in the last 12 months assessed at baseline (2011-2015) and follow-up (2015-2018). Odds ratios (95 % CI) for cough status and change in social participation activities (SPA), healthcare resource utilisation (HCRU), basic activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) were estimated using a weighted generalised estimating equation (WGEE). Results were stratified by sex, and adjusted for age, sex, smoking, body mass index, education, respiratory diseases and retirement status. RESULTS: Overall, chronic cough was associated with less SPA, greater HCRU and impaired ADL/IADLs. Productive chronic cough in males was associated with SPA limited by health, ED visits and hospitalisation. Females with productive chronic cough was associated with reduced frequency of SPA and ED visit. Dry chronic cough in females was associated with SPA limited by health and ED visits. Both types of cough was associated with at least 1 impaired basic ADL, but only in females with productive chronic cough was there an association with any impairment in IADLs. CONCLUSION: Chronic cough is associated with a greater burden on social participation, healthcare use and personal care.

Air quality and respiratory health in children.

Air pollution is a leading modifiable risk factor for various cardio-respiratory outcomes globally, both for children and for adults. Children are particularly susceptible to the adverse effects of air pollution due to various physiological and behavioural factors. Children are at a higher risk of outcomes such as acute respiratory infections, asthma and decreased lung function due to air pollution exposure; the risk varies in different geographical regions, depending on the source of air pollution, duration of exposures and concentration. Prenatal exposure to air pollution may also contribute to adverse respiratory outcomes later in life.

Association of the COVID-19 pandemic on stroke admissions and treatment globally: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVES: The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted insufficiencies and gaps within healthcare systems globally. In most countries, including high-income countries, healthcare facilities were over-run and occupied with too few resources beyond capacity. We carried out a systematic review with a primary aim to identify the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on the presentation and treatment of stroke globally in populations≥65 years of age. DESIGN: A systematic review was completed. In total, 38 papers were included following full-text screening. DATA SOURCES: PubMed, MEDLINE and Embase. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: Eligible studies included observational and real-world evidence publications with a population who have experienced stroke treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic. Exclusion criteria included studies comparing the effect of the COVID-19 infection on stroke treatment and outcomes. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS: Primary outcome measures extracted were the number of admissions, treatment times and patient outcome. Secondary outcomes were severity on admission, population risk factors and destination on discharge. No meta-analysis was performed. RESULTS: This review demonstrated that 84% of studies reported decreased admissions rates during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, among those admitted, on average, had higher severity of stroke. Additionally, in-hospital stroke treatment pathways were affected by the implementation of COVID-19 protocols, which resulted in increased treatment times in 60% of studies and increased in-hospital mortality in 82% of studies by 100% on average. The prevalence of stroke subtype (ischaemic or haemorrhagic) and primary treatment methods (thrombectomy or thrombolysis) did not vary due to the COVID-19 pandemic. CONCLUSIONS: During the COVID-19 pandemic, many populations hesitated to seek medical attention, decreasing hospital admissions for less severe strokes and increasing hospitalisation of more severe cases and mortality. The effect of the pandemic on society and healthcare systems needs to be addressed to improve stroke treatment pathways and prepare for potential future epidemics. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42021248564.

Long-term ambient air pollution exposure and cardio-respiratory disease in China: findings from a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Existing evidence on long-term ambient air pollution (AAP) exposure and risk of cardio-respiratory diseases in China is mainly on mortality, and based on area average concentrations from fixed-site monitors for individual exposures. Substantial uncertainty persists, therefore, about the shape and strength of the relationship when assessed using more personalised individual exposure data. We aimed to examine the relationships between AAP exposure and risk of cardio-respiratory diseases using predicted local levels of AAP. METHODS: A prospective study included 50,407 participants aged 30-79 years from Suzhou, China, with concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulphur dioxide (SO2), fine (PM2.5), and inhalable (PM10) particulate matter, ozone (O3) and carbon monoxide (CO) and incident cases of cardiovascular disease (CVD) (n = 2,563) and respiratory disease (n = 1,764) recorded during 2013-2015. Cox regression models with time-dependent covariates were used to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) for diseases associated with local-level concentrations of AAP exposure, estimated using Bayesian spatio-temporal modelling. RESULTS: The study period of 2013-2015 included a total of 135,199 person-years of follow-up for CVD. There was a positive association of AAP, particularly SO2 and O3, with risk of major cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. Each 10 µg/m3 increase in SO2 was associated with adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) of 1.07 (95% CI: 1.02, 1.12) for CVD, 1.25 (1.08, 1.44) for COPD and 1.12 (1.02, 1.23) for pneumonia. Similarly, each 10 µg/m3 increase in O3 was associated with adjusted HR of 1.02 (1.01, 1.03) for CVD, 1.03 (1.02, 1.05) for all stroke, and 1.04 (1.02, 1.06) for pneumonia. CONCLUSIONS: Among adults in urban China, long-term exposure to ambient air pollution is associated with a higher risk of cardio-respiratory disease.

Effects of Household Air Pollution (HAP) on Cardiovascular Diseases in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs): A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Out of over 3 billion people exposed to household air pollution (HAP), approximately 4 million die prematurely, most from cardiorespiratory diseases. Although many recent studies have reported adverse effects of HAP on cardiovascular outcomes, the findings are inconsistent. OBJECTIVES: The primary aim of this systematic review is to critically appraise the published studies and report the pooled summary of the findings on the association between HAP and cardiovascular outcomes, particularly in LMICs. METHODS: During this systematic review and meta-analysis, six databases were searched systematically, and the protocol was published in PROSPERO (CRD 42021248800). Only peer-reviewed English-language studies published from 1980 to March 2021 were included. We extracted data for the population ≥ 18 years old. Newcastle-Ottawa Criteria were used to assess the quality of evidence. The heterogeneity and publication bias of the studies was evaluated. A meta-analysis was conducted using a random-effect model to pool the findings from published studies. RESULTS: In sixteen studies totaling 547,463 cases, 319,180 were exposed to HAP. The pooled estimate suggested an overall 13% higher risk of CVDs, and a 21% higher risk of CVD mortality in LMICs among those exposed to HAP. Similarly, the increased risk of stroke and cerebrovascular accidents, heart failure, and hypertension was statistically significant among those exposed to HAP but not with myocardial infarction, IHD, eclampsia/preeclampsia, and carotid intima-media thickness. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest exposure to HAP increases the risk of cardiovascular outcomes.

Impact of mental health and personality traits on the incidence of chronic cough in the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging.

Background: Chronic cough is a common troublesome condition, but risk factors for developing chronic cough are poorly understood. The aim of this study was to understand the relationship between mental health disorders, personality traits and chronic cough. Methods: The Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging is a prospective, nationally generalisable, random sample of adults aged 45-85 years at baseline recruited between 2011 and 2015, and followed-up 3 years later. Chronic cough was defined as a daily cough over the last 12 months. Incident chronic cough was defined as those participants who reported new-onset chronic cough between baseline and follow-up 1. Current depressive symptoms and psychological distress were assessed using the Center for Epidemiologic Study Short Depression Scale (CESD-10) and Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K-10), respectively. The "Big Five" personality traits were assessed using the Ten-Item Personality Inventory. Relative risks are reported using a multivariate mutually adjusted model. Results: At follow-up 1, 2506 participants (11.1%) reported new-onset chronic cough during the ∼3-year interval. Depressive symptoms (CESD-10 ≥10: relative risk 1.22 (95% CI 1.03-1.44)) and psychological distress (K-10 ≥22: relative risk 1.20 (95% CI 1.07-1.36)) at baseline were both independent predictors of a higher risk of incident chronic cough. Prevalent and incident chronic cough were also independently associated with an increased risk of developing depressive symptoms and psychological distress. Personality traits did not influence the development of chronic cough but did increase the risk of depressive symptoms and psychological distress. Conclusions: This study shows that there is a bidirectional relationship between chronic cough, and depressive symptoms and psychological distress, and personality traits do not independently influence the development of chronic cough.

Medicines prescribing for homeless persons: analysis of prescription data from specialist homelessness general practices.

BACKGROUND: Specialist homelessness practices remain the main primary care access point for many persons experiencing homelessness. Prescribing practices are poorly understood in this population. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate prescribing of medicines to homeless persons who present to specialist homelessness primary care practices and compares the data with the general population. SETTING: Analyses of publicly available prescribing and demographics data pertaining to primary care in England. METHODS: Prescribing data from 15 specialist homelessness practices in England were extracted for the period 04/2019-03/2020 and compared with data from (a) general populations, (b) the most deprived populations, and (c) the least deprived populations in England. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Prescribing rates, measured as the number of items/1000 population in key disease areas. RESULTS: Data corresponding to 20,572 homeless persons was included. Marked disparity were observed in regards to prescribing rates of drugs for Central Nervous System disorders. For example, prescribing rates were 83-fold (mean (SD) 1296.7(1447.6) vs. 15.7(9.2) p = 0.033) items), and 12-fold (p = 0.018) higher amongst homeless populations for opioid dependence and psychosis disorders respectively compared to the general populations. Differences with populations in the least deprived populations were even higher. Prescribing medicines for other long-term conditions other than mental health and substance misuse was lower in the homeless than in the general population. CONCLUSIONS: Most of the prescribing activities in the homeless population relate to mental health conditions and substance misuse. It is possible that other long-term conditions that overlap with homelessness are under-diagnosed and under-managed. Wide variations in data across practices needs investigation.

Language and geographical location influence the incidence of chronic cough in the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging.

French speakers have a 4% lower incidence of chronic cough than English speakers in the CLSA, but English speakers from Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Nova Scotia also have a lower risk of developing chronic cough https://bit.ly/3qAd3Mf.

Exposure to household air pollution from solid cookfuels and childhood stunting: a population-based, cross-sectional study of half a million children in low- and middle-income countries.

BACKGROUND: Household air pollution from the incomplete combustion of solid cookfuels in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) has been largely ignored as a potentially important correlate of stunting. Our objective was to examine the association between solid cookfuel use and stunting in children aged <5 y. METHODS: We used data from 59 LMICs' population-based cross-sectional demographic and health surveys; 557 098 children aged <5 y were included in our analytical sample. Multilevel logistic regression was used to examine the association between exposure to solid cookfuel use and childhood stunting, adjusting for child sex, age, maternal education and number of children living in the household. We explored the association across key subgroups. RESULTS: Solid cookfuel use was associated with child stunting (adjusted OR 1.58, 95% CI 1.55 to 1.61). Children living in households using solid cookfuels were more likely to be stunted if they lived in rural areas, the poorest households, had a mother who smoked tobacco or were from the Americas. CONCLUSIONS: Focused strategies to reduce solid cookfuel exposure might contribute to reductions in childhood stunting in LMICs. Trial evidence to assess the effect of reducing solid cookfuel exposure on childhood stunting is urgently needed.

Impact of productive and dry chronic cough on mortality in the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA).

Background: Chronic cough is a common troublesome condition and accounts for a high burden on quality of life. Previous data investigating the mortality associated with chronic cough has been derived in patients with chronic bronchitis. No data exists on chronic dry cough. Therefore, we investigated if chronic dry and productive cough is independently associated with increased mortality. Methods: The Canadian Longitudinal Study on Ageing (CLSA) is a prospective, nationally generalizable, stratified random sample of adults aged 45-85 years at baseline recruited between 2011-2015 and followed up three years later. Chronic cough was identified based on a self-reported daily cough in the last 12 months. Deaths were confirmed by the Ministry of Health and/or completion of descendent questionnaire by a family member. Models were investigated for dry and productive chronic cough and was adjusted for age, sex, smoking, body mass index (BMI), and respiratory diseases. Results: Of the 30,016 participants, 4,783 (15.9%) reported chronic cough at baseline; 2,724 (57%) had a dry cough, and 2,059 (43%) had productive chronic cough. There was a total of 561 deaths between baseline and follow-up-1 (3 years later). There was a 49% higher risk of death in participants with chronic productive cough {adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.49 [95% confidence intervals (CI): 1.08-2.07]}, but not dry chronic cough [aOR 0.85 (0.60-1.20)]. The effects of chronic productive cough on mortality were persistent in those with no airflow obstruction [chronic productive cough aOR 1.90 (1.09-3.31)]. Conclusions: Chronic productive cough is associated with a higher risk of death, while chronic dry cough has no impact on mortality risk of death in middle-aged and older adults. This highlights the importance of careful evaluation of patients with chronic cough.

Effect of exposure to biomass smoke from cooking fuel types and eye disorders in women from hilly and plain regions of Nepal.

BACKGROUND/AIM: To study the association between exposure to biomass smoke from cooking fuels andi cataract, visual acuity and ocular symptoms in women. METHODS: We conducted a community-based cross-sectional study among women (≥20 years and without a previous diagnosis of cataract, ocular trauma or diabetes or those taking steroids) from hilly and plain regions of Nepal. Eligible participants received an interview and a comprehensive eye assessment (cataract development, visual acuity test and ocular symptoms). Participants' data on demographics, cooking fuel type and duration of use, and cooking habits were collected. We addressed potential confounders using the propensity score and other risk factors for ocular diseases through regression analysis. RESULTS: Of 784 participants, 30.6% used clean fuel (liquefied petroleum gas, methane, electricity) as their primary current fuel, and the remaining 69.4% used biomass fuels. Thirty-nine per cent of the total participants had cataracts-about twofold higher in those who currently used biomass fuel compared with those who used clean fuel (OR=2.27; 95% CI 1.09 to 4.77) and over threefold higher in those who always used biomass. Similarly, the nuclear cataract was twofold higher in the current biomass user group compared with the clean fuel user group (OR=2.53; 95% CI 1.18-5.42) and over threefold higher among those who always used biomass. A higher proportion of women using biomass had impaired vision, reported more ocular symptoms compared with those using clean fuel. Severe impaired vision and blindness were only present in biomass fuel users. However, the differences were only statistically significant for symptoms such as redness, burning sensation, a complaint of pain in the eye and tear in the eyes. CONCLUSIONS: Cataract was more prevalent in women using biomass for cooking compared with those using clean fuel.

Breastfeeding and risk of childhood asthma: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between breastfeeding and the development of paediatric asthma. METHODS: A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted with MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL and ProQuest Nursing and Allied Health source databases. Retrospective/prospective cohorts in children aged <18 years with breastfeeding exposure reported were included. The primary outcome was a diagnosis of asthma by a physician or using a guideline-based criterion. A secondary outcome was asthma severity. RESULTS: 42 studies met inclusion criteria. 37 studies reported the primary outcome of physician-/guideline-diagnosed asthma, and five studies reported effects on asthma severity. Children with longer duration/more breastfeeding compared to shorter duration/less breastfeeding have a lower risk of asthma (OR 0.84, 95% CI 0.75-0.93; I2 = 62.4%). Similarly, a lower risk of asthma was found in children who had more exclusive breastfeeding versus less exclusive breastfeeding (OR 0.81, 95% CI 0.72-0.91; I2=44%). Further stratified analysis of different age groups demonstrated a lower risk of asthma in the 0-2-years age group (OR 0.73, 95% CI 0.63-0.83) and the 3-6-years age group (OR 0.69, 95% CI 0.55-0.87); there was no statistically significant effect on the ≥7-years age group. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that the duration and exclusivity of breastfeeding are associated with a lower risk of asthma in children aged <7 years.

The Effects of Household Air Pollution (HAP) on Lung Function in Children: A Systematic Review.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that around 3 billion people today are exposed to smoke from the household combustion of solid fuels. While the household use of solid fuels has decreased over the last few decades, it remains a leading modifiable risk factor for the global burden of disease. This systematic review analyzed the impact of Household Air Pollution (HAP) on lung function in children (under 18 years of age), as this is the time period of accelerated growth rate until full skeletal maturity. Data from 11 published studies demonstrated that exposure to smoke from solid fuel was associated with a lower growth rate of several lung function indices (FVC, FEV1, FEF25-75) in children. However, there was no observed association between HAP and the FEV1/FVC ratio over time. Although the evidence suggests an inverse association between high exposure to HAP and lung function indices, there is a lack of longitudinal data describing this association. Therefore, precaution is needed to reduce the smoke exposure from solid fuel burning.