title: The effects of air pollution on acute respiratory conditions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Air pollution and its potential health effects are very important worldwide. It is particularly problematic in densely populated cities of developing countries that suffer from a lack of both short- and long-term programmes for air pollution control. We decided to study the short-term effects of air pollution on lung health by assessing the relationship between the levels of six air pollutants and emergency visits for asthma and COPD exacerbations in Tehran, Iran.
  
  
  METHODS
  We monitored the daily attendances for acute respiratory conditions (asthma attacks and COPD exacerbations) to the emergency departments of five major hospitals together with the daily concentrations of six major pollutants during a 5-month period in Tehran. The association between these acute respiratory conditions and the levels of air pollutants was determined by multiple stepwise regression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A correlation was observed between the number of hospital admissions for asthma and the weekly mean concentration of nitrogen dioxide (P < 0.05). The 3-day and 10-day mean concentrations of sulphur dioxide were also found to be directly associated with the number of asthma admissions during this period (P < 0.05). No direct correlation was observed for other variables.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study further emphasizes the deleterious effects of air pollution on respiratory health in major populated cities such as Tehran and suggests that increased attention needs to be given to urgent control of air pollution problems.
authors.forename: Mohammad Reza
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Masjedi
authors.forename: Hamid Reza
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Jamaati
authors.forename: Pouneh
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dokouhaki
authors.forename: Zarrin
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ahmadzadeh
authors.forename: Sima Alinezhad
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Taheri
authors.forename: Masoud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bigdeli
authors.forename: Shirin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Izadi
authors.forename: Abdorrahman
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rostamian
authors.forename: Khosro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Aagin
authors.forename: Seyed Masoud
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Ghavam
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D002248:Carbon Monoxide / Q000009:adverse effects; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D013458:Sulfur Dioxide / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D013458:Sulfur Dioxide; D002248:Carbon Monoxide