title: Residential radon and COPD. An ecological study in Galicia, Spain.
abstract: Radon is a human lung carcinogen but it might be linked with other respiratory diseases. We aimed to assess the relationship between residential radon exposure and COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) prevalence and hospital admissions at a municipal level.
  
  
  
  We designed an ecological study where we included those municipalities with at least three radon measurements. Using mixed Poisson regression models, we calculated the relative risk (RR) for COPD for each 100 Bq/m3of increase in radon concentration and also the relative risk for COPD using a cut-off point of 50 Bq/m3. We did not have individual data on cigarette smoking and therefore we used a proxy (bladder cancer standardized mortality rate) that has proved to account for tobacco consumption. We performed separate analyses for sex and also sensitivity analysis considering age and rurality.
  
  
  
  A total of 3040 radon measurements and 49,393 COPD cases were included. The relative risk for COPD prevalence was 0.95 (95% CI: 0.92-0.97) while for hospital admissions the RR was 1.04 (95% CI: 1.00-1.10) for each 100 Bq/m3. Relative risks were higher for women compared to men. Using a categorical analysis with a cut-off point of 50 Bq/m3, the RR for COPD prevalence was 1.06 (95% CI: 1.02-1.10) and for hospital admissions it was 1.08 (95% CI: 1.00-1.17) for women living in municipalities with more than 50 Bq/m3. All risks were also higher for women. No relevant differences were observed for age, rurality or other categories for radon exposure.
  
  
  
  While the influence of radon on COPD prevalence is unclear depending on the approach used, it seems that residential radon might increase the risk of hospital admissions in COPD patients. Women have a higher risk than men in all situations. Since this is an ecological study, results should be interpreted cautiously.
authors: a Department of Preventive Medicine & Public Health , University of Santiago de Compostela , Santiago de Compostela , Spain.|b Preventive Medicine and Public Health Unit , Monforte de Lemos Local Hospital , Monforte de Lemos , Spain.
authors: Raquel
authors: R
authors: Barbosa-Lorenzo
authors: a Department of Preventive Medicine & Public Health , University of Santiago de Compostela , Santiago de Compostela , Spain.|c Consortium for Biomedical Research in Epidemiology & Public Health (CIBER en Epidemiología y Salud Pública: CIBERESP) , Spain.|d Department of Epidemiology, Brown School of Public Health , Brown University , Providence , RI , USA.
authors: Alberto
authors: A
authors: Ruano-Ravina
authors: c Consortium for Biomedical Research in Epidemiology & Public Health (CIBER en Epidemiología y Salud Pública: CIBERESP) , Spain.|e Cancer and Environmental Epidemiology Unit, National Center for Epidemiology , Carlos III Institute of Health , Madrid , Spain.
authors: Rebeca
authors: R
authors: Ramis
authors: c Consortium for Biomedical Research in Epidemiology & Public Health (CIBER en Epidemiología y Salud Pública: CIBERESP) , Spain.|e Cancer and Environmental Epidemiology Unit, National Center for Epidemiology , Carlos III Institute of Health , Madrid , Spain.
authors: Nuria
authors: N
authors: Aragonés
authors: d Department of Epidemiology, Brown School of Public Health , Brown University , Providence , RI , USA.
authors: Karl T
authors: KT
authors: Kelsey
authors: f Clinical Coding and Analysis Department, Galician Health Authority, Galicia Regional Authority , Santiago de Compostela , Spain.
authors: Consuelo
authors: C
authors: Carballeira-Roca
authors: g Service of Neumology , University Hospital Complex of Vigo , Vigo , Spain.
authors: Alberto
authors: A
authors: Fernández-Villar
authors: c Consortium for Biomedical Research in Epidemiology & Public Health (CIBER en Epidemiología y Salud Pública: CIBERESP) , Spain.|e Cancer and Environmental Epidemiology Unit, National Center for Epidemiology , Carlos III Institute of Health , Madrid , Spain.
authors: Gonzalo
authors: G
authors: López-Abente
authors: a Department of Preventive Medicine & Public Health , University of Santiago de Compostela , Santiago de Compostela , Spain.|c Consortium for Biomedical Research in Epidemiology & Public Health (CIBER en Epidemiología y Salud Pública: CIBERESP) , Spain.|h Preventive Medicine and Public Health Unit , Santiago de Compostela University Teaching Hospital , Santiago de Compostela , Spain.
authors: Juan M
authors: JM
authors: Barros-Dios
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000032:analysis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015984:Causality; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006798:Housing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000069079:Radiation Exposure / Q000032:analysis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011886:Radon / Q000032:analysis*; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D011886:Radon
keywords: Chronic obstructive; Spain; ecological study; pulmonary disease; radon