Residential radon and characteristics of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Abstract It is not known whether residential radon exposure may be linked to the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and/or have an influence on the functional characteristics or exacerbations of COPD. The aim of this study was therefore to ascertain whether there might be an...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2022-01-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-05421-6 |
| _version_ | 1819349694172626944 |
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| author | Ana Pando-Sandoval Alberto Ruano-Ravina María Torres-Durán Raquel Dacal-Quintas Luis Valdés-Cuadrado Jesús R. Hernández-Hernández Angélica Consuegra-Vanegas Cristina Candal-Pedreira Leonor Varela-Lema Alberto Fernández-Villar Mónica Pérez-Ríos |
| author_facet | Ana Pando-Sandoval Alberto Ruano-Ravina María Torres-Durán Raquel Dacal-Quintas Luis Valdés-Cuadrado Jesús R. Hernández-Hernández Angélica Consuegra-Vanegas Cristina Candal-Pedreira Leonor Varela-Lema Alberto Fernández-Villar Mónica Pérez-Ríos |
| author_sort | Ana Pando-Sandoval |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract It is not known whether residential radon exposure may be linked to the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and/or have an influence on the functional characteristics or exacerbations of COPD. The aim of this study was therefore to ascertain whether there might be an association between residential radon concentrations and certain characteristics of COPD. We analyzed COPD cases drawn from a case–control study conducted in an area of high radon exposure. Data were collected on spirometric pulmonary function variables, hospital admissions, and smoking. Radon measurements were taken using alpha-track-type CR-39 detectors individually placed in patients’ homes. All statistical analyses were performed using the IBM SPSS v22 computer software program. The study included 189 COPD cases (79.4% men; median age 64 years). The median radon concentration was 157 Bq/m3. No differences were found between radon concentration and sex, age or severity of breathing obstruction as measured by FEV1%. It should be noted, however, that 48.1% of patients with FEV1% < 50 had radon concentrations below 100 Bq/m3, as compared to 35.6% with the same severity of obstruction who had over 300 Bq/m3. COPD cases with radon concentrations higher than > 600 Bq/m3 exhibited no different characteristics in lung function. Exposure to radon does not appear to have an influence on the clinical characteristics of smokers and ex-smokers with COPD. As exposure to residential radon increases, there is no trend towards a worsening of FEV1%. Further studies are thus needed to analyze this possible association in never-smokers with COPD. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-24T19:04:35Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c04b982943604c2dbe25c669b5b93271 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-24T19:04:35Z |
| publishDate | 2022-01-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-c04b982943604c2dbe25c669b5b932712022-12-21T16:43:07ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222022-01-011211710.1038/s41598-022-05421-6Residential radon and characteristics of chronic obstructive pulmonary diseaseAna Pando-Sandoval0Alberto Ruano-Ravina1María Torres-Durán2Raquel Dacal-Quintas3Luis Valdés-Cuadrado4Jesús R. Hernández-Hernández5Angélica Consuegra-Vanegas6Cristina Candal-Pedreira7Leonor Varela-Lema8Alberto Fernández-Villar9Mónica Pérez-Ríos10Department of Pneumology, Central University Teaching Hospital of AsturiasDepartment of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, University of Santiago de CompostelaDepartment of Pneumology, University Teaching Hospital Complex of VigoDepartment of Pneumology, University Teaching Hospital Complex of OurenseDepartment of Pneumology, University Clinical Teaching Hospital of Santiago de CompostelaDepartment of Pneumology, Avila Hospital ComplexDepartment of Pneumology, A Coruña University Teaching HospitalDepartment of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, University of Santiago de CompostelaDepartment of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, University of Santiago de CompostelaDepartment of Pneumology, University Teaching Hospital Complex of VigoDepartment of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, University of Santiago de CompostelaAbstract It is not known whether residential radon exposure may be linked to the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and/or have an influence on the functional characteristics or exacerbations of COPD. The aim of this study was therefore to ascertain whether there might be an association between residential radon concentrations and certain characteristics of COPD. We analyzed COPD cases drawn from a case–control study conducted in an area of high radon exposure. Data were collected on spirometric pulmonary function variables, hospital admissions, and smoking. Radon measurements were taken using alpha-track-type CR-39 detectors individually placed in patients’ homes. All statistical analyses were performed using the IBM SPSS v22 computer software program. The study included 189 COPD cases (79.4% men; median age 64 years). The median radon concentration was 157 Bq/m3. No differences were found between radon concentration and sex, age or severity of breathing obstruction as measured by FEV1%. It should be noted, however, that 48.1% of patients with FEV1% < 50 had radon concentrations below 100 Bq/m3, as compared to 35.6% with the same severity of obstruction who had over 300 Bq/m3. COPD cases with radon concentrations higher than > 600 Bq/m3 exhibited no different characteristics in lung function. Exposure to radon does not appear to have an influence on the clinical characteristics of smokers and ex-smokers with COPD. As exposure to residential radon increases, there is no trend towards a worsening of FEV1%. Further studies are thus needed to analyze this possible association in never-smokers with COPD.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-05421-6 |
| spellingShingle | Ana Pando-Sandoval Alberto Ruano-Ravina María Torres-Durán Raquel Dacal-Quintas Luis Valdés-Cuadrado Jesús R. Hernández-Hernández Angélica Consuegra-Vanegas Cristina Candal-Pedreira Leonor Varela-Lema Alberto Fernández-Villar Mónica Pérez-Ríos Residential radon and characteristics of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease Scientific Reports |
| title | Residential radon and characteristics of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease |
| title_full | Residential radon and characteristics of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease |
| title_fullStr | Residential radon and characteristics of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease |
| title_full_unstemmed | Residential radon and characteristics of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease |
| title_short | Residential radon and characteristics of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease |
| title_sort | residential radon and characteristics of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-05421-6 |
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