Introduction.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) What is COPD?

Wood Stove Pollution Can Cause (COPD). Public Health News : 20 Feb. 2006 (UK)  Women in developing countries at risk. "Biomass (wood) smoke particles can penetrate deeply into the lung, producing a variety of morphologic and biochemical changes." said Dr. Ramirez-Venegas.

Case Report: A Case of Wood-Smoke–Related Pulmonary Disease Environ Health Perspect. 2006 May; 114(5): 759–762. San Francisco General Hospital, CA, USA  (good pictures at end.)

A report on Wood smoke and COPD: Shedding New Light on Wood Smoke... (PDF 128KB) Spain: European Respiratory Journal 2006

Heart Disease

"GASP" Article: "It isn’t just getting into your lungs. The link between fine particulates and cardiovascular disease." by Peri Unligil, M.D. and David Eibling, M.D., GASP Board Members, Fall 2007

GASP presentation entitled "Effects of Air Pollution on Cardiovascular Disease" (1.1 MB) by Dr. Donald Grandis. February 27. 2008.

Heart Impact: Air Pollution's Impact On The Heart Is As Bad As Having Been A Smoker. NY University Medical Center: 2003 [Main authors: Thurston and Pope]

Mechanisms by which particulate matter causes coagulation leading to arterial thrombosis.

Long-Term Exposure to Air Pollution and Incidence of Cardiovascular Events in Women.       2-1-2007 New England Journal of Medicine Shows that older women are more vulnerable to soot. (Summary and link to full article)

Heart attacks are linked to fine particles (PM2.5): Journal of the American Heart Association (Again, no mention of Wood Smoke exposure. ED) "The risk of heart attack was higher in patients who had been exposed to elevated PM2.5 in the two hours before the onset of their symptoms. The researchers also found that a higher heart attack risk was related to a higher average exposure over the full day before the onset of symptoms, indicating a delayed response to the particles." Dr. Murray Mittleman. Boston Study: Abstract: Heart Myocardial Infarction

Heart Disease Deaths Among Firefighters: New England Journal of Medicine 2007

The Association between Fatal Coronary Heart Disease and Ambient Particulate Air Pollution: Are Females at Greater Risk? Abstract & PDF, 2005

Heart Rhythm: UK:Report On Cardiovascular Disease And Air Pollution

Effects of Concentrated Ambient Particles on the Cardiac and Pulmonary Systems of Dogs.

Allergic and cardiovascular responses to concentrated ambient particle exposure. 2004 Slide show. M.T. Kleinman [slide 6 shows possible cascade of damage at the cellular level. ED]

Arteriosclerosis JAMA 2001

High Blood Pressure linked to fine particulate exposure. 2004 News brief from Harvard Medical School

Stroke: Fine smoke particles (PM10) may increase stroke risk. American Heart Association: 2003

Air Pollution May Cause Heart Disease; Nano-Sized Particles Most Damaging

Lung Disease

The Harvard School of Public Health analyzed illness reports in 53 cities. The study showed that for every 10ug/m3 increase in the annual average particulate concentrations, the odds for respiratory illness, including chronic bronchitis, increased 6 to 7%.

Lung Cancer:

Montreal Woman at Risk: Lung Cancer From Heating and Cooking Fuels: 2006, American Journal of Epidemiology

Wood Smoke Emissions
Effects on Host Pulmonary Immune Defense, Judith T. Zelikoff, Ph.D., New York University, N.Y. University, animals exposed to wood smoke levels immediately had a 25% decrease in the lungs ability to clear bacteria, and after just 1.5 to 2.5 hours, had decreases of 23 to 61% in lung function. "A murine [mouse] model of wood smoke inhalation." Mice exposed to wood smoke demonstrated more dramatic pathology than mice exposed to cotton or polyurethane smoke.

Pneumonia Hospitalizations for the elderly are increasing (2005). 2 abstracts

Diffuse Infiltrative Lung Disease Including Selected Pneumoconiosis (PDF) Tutorial(39 KB) by Ed Uthman, MD, Diplomate, American Board of Pathology.

Responses to Smoke Inhalation 3 reports on how cells are injured by smoke inhalation.

Sarcoidosis study finds link with rural wood burning or handling of wood.

Effects of Subchronic Exposure to Wood Smoke on the Respiratory Tract of Rats

Symptoms of Lung Disease: Merck Manual  & Quest Labs Patient Education sheets.

GASP presentation "Air Pollution and the respiratory system" (7.6MB) by Dr. Fernando Holguin, Clinical Director of Pediatric Environmental Medicine Center at Children's Hospital, Pittsburgh, PA. The presentation was given May 11, 2009.

American Lung Association Review of Recent 2001 Research on Health Effects of Particulate Matter. (PDF 92K) Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis: Support (Off Site) Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) is a lung disorder characterized by a progressive scarring – known as fibrosis – and deterioration of the lungs, which slowly robs its victims of their ability to breathe. (Again, no mention of Wood Smoke exposure, yet. ED)

Air pollution directly affects cognition and lung function.