Review
Effects of Air Pollution and Smoking on Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Bronchial Asthma
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HIDETADA SASAKI, KIYOHISA SEKIZAWA, MASARU YANAI, HIROYUKI ARAI, MUTSUO YAMAYA and TAKASHI OHRUI
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Department of Geriatric and Respiratory Medicine, Tohoku University School of Medicine, Sendai 980-8574
Although both tobacco smoking and air pollution are believed to be environmental factors affecting the prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and bronchial asthma, the mechanisms by which they induce/aggravate these diseases are still not known in detail. While smoking has been demonstrated to cause and aggravate COPD and bronchial asthma, the influence of air pollution, suspected to have hazardous environmental effects since the historical episodes of severe air pollution such as the London Smog, on the prevalence of airway diseases remains unclear. This is due, in part, to changes over time in the nature of the air pollutants concerned. There have been no consistent findings on the effects on airway diseases of air pollutants at levels currently observed in developed countries. It is believed that cessation of smoking is the most important factor in preventing the development of COPD.
Key words---
COPD; bronchial asthma; smoking; air pollutants; London Smog
© 1998 Tohoku University Medical Press
Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 1998, 186, 151-167
Address for reprints:
Hidetada Sasaki, Department of Geriatric and Respiratory Medicine, Tohoku University School of Medicine, 1-1 Seiryomachi, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8574, Japan.
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