Does exposure to black carbon during pregnancy increase the risk of autism spectrum disorder? A cohort study from Southern Sweden.

Black carbon (BC), a major component of fine particulate matter (PM), has been implicated in adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes, including autism spectrum disorders (ASD). While PM has been associated with increased ASD risk, the specific role of BC remains uncertain. This study aimed to assess prenatal exposure to BC and risk for ASD development in a low exposure setting, using a large, high-quality register database, with disease diagnosis made by a single team.

Long-term air pollution exposure and incident dementia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: A rapidly evolving evidence base suggests that exposure to outdoor air pollution is a risk factor for the onset of dementia, with an upturn in publications since 2022. We sought to synthesise and critically assess this evidence base accounting for the latest studies.

Methods: In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, Global Health, PsycINFO, Scopus, and Web of Science Core Collection from database inception up to Oct 23, 2023, for primary observational studies of adults (aged ≥18 years) that provided a quantitative analysis of the association between long-term (≥1 year) exposure to outdoor air pollutants and a subsequent physician diagnosis of dementia.

Investigation of potential collider bias in estimating the association between long-term exposure to air pollution and COVID-19 mortality.

Background: Patient-based cohorts were frequently used to investigate air pollution-related coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) evidence, which can be subject to collider bias. However, this bias has not been explored. We aimed to quantify and adjust the collider bias by limiting study population to patients with COVID-19 when estimating the association between long-term exposure to air pollution (LTAP) and COVID-19 mortality.

Long-Term Exposure to Ambient Air Pollution and Lower Respiratory Tract Infection in Adults: Danish Nationwide Evidence.

Long-term exposure to air pollution has been linked with acute lower respiratory infections (ALRIs) in children, but the evidence in adults is still mixed and sparse. We aimed to examine the association between long-term exposure to air pollution and incident ALRIs in adults. We followed all Danish residents aged ≥30 years ( = 3,083,227) for the first-ever hospital contact (inpatient, outpatient, or emergency) for ALRIs (and pneumonia or influenza separately) from 2000 to 2018.

Exploring the interaction between ambient air pollution and road traffic noise on stroke incidence in ten Nordic cohorts.

Introduction: Ambient air pollution and road traffic noise are stroke risk factors, but evidence on their potential joint effects remains limited. This study investigated the independent and joint associations of air pollution and road traffic noise on stroke incidence using both multiplicative and additive scales.

Methods: We followed stroke incidence in ten cohorts in Sweden, Denmark, and Finland.

Long-term exposure to green and blue space and incidence of cardiovascular disease: A Danish Nurse Cohort study.

Background: Few cohort studies have examined the associations of natural surroundings (green and blue space) with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and show mixed findings. We aimed to investigate the associations between long-term exposure to green and blue space and incidence of CVD in the Danish Nurse Cohort.

Methods: We followed 19,070 female nurses living in Denmark from 1993/1999 to 2018.

Choices of morbidity outcomes and concentration-response functions for health risk assessment of long-term exposure to air pollution.

Background: Air pollution health risk assessment (HRA) has been typically conducted for all causes and cause-specific mortality based on concentration-response functions (CRFs) from meta-analyses that synthesize the evidence on air pollution health effects. There is a need for a similar systematic approach for HRA for morbidity outcomes, which have often been omitted from HRA of air pollution, thus underestimating the full air pollution burden. We aimed to compile from the existing systematic reviews and meta-analyses CRFs for the incidence of several diseases that could be applied in HRA.

Residential greenspace and COVID-19 Severity: A cohort study of 313,657 individuals in Greater Manchester, United Kingdom.

Background: Greenspaces contribute positively to mental and physical well-being, promote social cohesion, and alleviate environmental stressors, such as air pollution. Ecological studies suggest that greenspace may affect incidence and severity of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Objective: This study examines the association between residential greenspace and COVID-19 related hospitalization and death.

Long-term exposure to road traffic noise and acute lower respiratory infections in the Danish Nurse Cohort.

Background: Long-term exposure to road traffic noise is associated with cardiovascular disease, but the evidence on respiratory diseases is just emerging. We aimed to examine the association between long-term exposure to road traffic noise and the incidence of acute lower respiratory infections (ALRIs) in adults.

Methods: We followed 23,141 female nurses (age ≥ 44 years) from the Danish Nurse Cohort from baseline (1993 or 1999) to their first hospital contact (inpatient, outpatient, or emergency room) for ALRI, death, emigration or the end of 2015.

Long-term exposure to air pollution and road traffic noise and incidence of dementia in the Danish Nurse Cohort.

Introduction: We examined the association of long-term exposure to air pollution and road traffic noise with dementia incidence in the Danish Nurse Cohort.

Methods: Female nurses were followed for dementia incidence (hospital contact or medication prescription) from 1993/1999 to 2020. Air pollution and road traffic noise levels were estimated at nurses' residences, and their associations with dementia were examined using Cox regression models.

Long-Term Exposure to Air Pollution and Risk of Acute Lower Respiratory Infections in the Danish Nurse Cohort.

Air pollution is a major risk factor for chronic cardiorespiratory diseases, affecting the immune and respiratory systems' functionality, but epidemiological evidence in respiratory infections remains sparse. We aimed to assess the association of long-term exposure to ambient air pollution with the risk of developing new and recurrent acute lower respiratory infections (ALRIs), characterized by persistently severe symptoms necessitating hospital contact, and identify the potential susceptible populations by socioeconomic status, smoking, physical activity status, overweight, and comorbidity with chronic lung disease. We followed 23,912 female nurses from the Danish Nurse Cohort (age >44 yr) from baseline (1993 or 1999) until 2018 for incident and recurrent ALRIs defined by hospital contact (inpatient, outpatient, and emergency room) data from the National Patient Register.

Lifetime exposure to air pollution and academic achievement: A nationwide cohort study in Denmark.

Recent research suggests a link between air pollution and cognitive development in children, and studies on air pollution and academic achievement are emerging. We conducted a nationwide cohort study in Denmark to explore the associations between lifetime exposure to air pollution and academic performance in 9th grade. The study encompassed 785,312 children born in Denmark between 1989 and 2005, all of whom completed 9th-grade exit examinations.

Examining psychotic experiences in two generations - findings from a rural household-based cohort study; the Lolland-Falster Health Study.

Background: Psychotic disorders are highly heritable, yet the evidence is less clear for subclinical psychosis expression, such as psychotic experiences (PEs). We examined if PEs in parents were associated with PEs in offspring.

Methods: As part of the Danish general population Lolland-Falster Health Study, families with youths aged 11-17 years were included.

Clean air in Europe for all! Taking stock of the proposed revision to the ambient air quality directives: a joint ERS, HEI and ISEE workshop report.

Ambient air pollution is a major public health concern and comprehensive new legislation is currently being considered to improve air quality in Europe. The European Respiratory Society (ERS), Health Effects Institute (HEI), and International Society for Environmental Epidemiology (ISEE) organised a joint meeting on May 24, 2023 in Brussels, Belgium, to review and critically evaluate the latest evidence on the health effects of air pollution and discuss ongoing revisions of the European Ambient Air Quality Directives (AAQDs). A multi-disciplinary expert group of air pollution and health researchers, patient and medical societies, and policy representatives participated.

Climate change and respiratory disease: clinical guidance for healthcare professionals.

Unlabelled: Climate change is one of the major public health emergencies with already unprecedented impacts on our planet, environment and health. Climate change has already resulted in substantial increases in temperatures globally and more frequent and extreme weather in terms of heatwaves, droughts, dust storms, wildfires, rainstorms and flooding, with prolonged and altered allergen and microbial exposure as well as the introduction of new allergens to certain areas. All these exposures may have a major burden on patients with respiratory conditions, which will pose increasing challenges for respiratory clinicians and other healthcare providers.

Long-term exposure to air pollution and risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 hospitalisation or death: Danish nationwide cohort study.

Background: Early ecological studies have suggested links between air pollution and risk of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), but evidence from individual-level cohort studies is still sparse. We examined whether long-term exposure to air pollution is associated with risk of COVID-19 and who is most susceptible.

Methods: We followed 3 721 810 Danish residents aged ≥30 years on 1 March 2020 in the National COVID-19 Surveillance System until the date of first positive test (incidence), COVID-19 hospitalisation or death until 26 April 2021.

Important steps towards a big change for lung health: a joint approach by the European Respiratory Society, the European Society of Radiology and their partners to facilitate implementation of the European Union's new recommendations on lung cancer screening.

https://bit.ly/3J4O0Jb.

Early-Life Exposure to Ambient Air Pollution from Multiple Sources and Asthma Incidence in Children: A Nationwide Birth Cohort Study from Denmark.

Background: Ambient air pollution exposure has been associated with childhood asthma, but previous studies have primarily focused on prevalence of asthma and asthma-related outcomes and urban traffic-related exposures.

Objective: We examined nationwide associations between pre- and postnatal exposure to ambient air pollution components and asthma incidence in children age 0-19 y.

Methods: Asthma incidence was identified from hospital admission, emergency room, and outpatient contacts among all live-born singletons born in Denmark between 1998 and 2016.