BACKGROUND AND AIM: The association between desert dust and daily mortality has been investigated previously in East Asia, but with a different analytical approach and methods for quantifying dust exposure, rendering it difficult to compare results with other regions. We conducted a study to examine the association using the European Union (EU) Reference Method (Directive 2008/50/EC) to identify desert dust events and quantify exposure as a continuous measurement of particulate matter with diameters of 10 micrometers or less (PM₁₀). METHOD: We collected data on daily mortality (total respiratory and cardiovascular), PM₁₀, and average temperature from four cities – Beijing, Seoul, Fukuoka, and Taipei – with a period of 4-6 years between 2011-2017. Desert dust days were identified using aerosol maps (NAAPS-NRL), back trajectories of air masses (HYSPLIT) and reanalysis product (MERRA-2). We estimated the background level of PM₁₀ and quantified PM₁₀ concentrations by desert and non-desert sources. City-specific Poisson regression models with distributed lags were used to estimate the associations between mortality and source-specific PM₁₀ (by 3 sources: desert and non-desert PM₁₀ on days with or without dust events). RESULTS: Cities located closer to the desert areas had more dust events, ranging from 45% of the days in Beijing to 10% in Taipei. The exposure response curves tend to be more curvilinear for cities located closer to desert areas. We observed associations between mortality and PM₁₀ originating from desert dust notably in Beijing. The largest relative risks estimated for total, respiratory and cardiovascular mortality were 1.05 (95% confidence interval: 1.01, 1.10), 1.20 (1.06, 1.36), and 1.08 (1.02, 1.14), respectively, in comparison to the risk at the 1st percentile (3 microgram/m). Local PM₁₀ were also associated daily mortality but the association varied by cities. CONCLUSIONS: PM₁₀ from desert dusts is an independent risk factor for mortality in populations living near arid areas affected by desert dust.
: Relatively little attention has been paid to the potential effects of rising temperatures on changes in human behavior that lead to health and social consequences, including aggression. This study investigated the association between ambient temperature and aggression using assault death data from Seoul, South Korea (1991-2020).
Previous studies show that escalations in ambient temperature are among the risk factors for acute kidney injury (AKI). However, it has not been adequately studied in our location, Seoul, South Korea. In this study, we aimed to examine the association between ambient temperatures and AKI morbidity using emergency department (ED) visit data. We obtained data on ED visits from the National Emergency Medical Center for 21,656 reported cases of AKI from 2010 to 2014. Time-stratified case-crossover design analysis based on conditional logistic regression was used to analyze short-term effects of ambient temperature on AKI after controlling for relevant covariates. The shape of the exposure–response curve, effect modification by individual demographic characteristics, season, and comorbidities, as well as lag effects, were investigated. The odds ratio (OR) per 1 °C increase at lag 0 was 1.0087 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.0041–1.0134). Risks were higher during the warm season (OR = 1.0149; 95% CI: 1.0065–1.0234) than during the cool season (OR = 1.0059; 95% CI: 1.0003–1.0116) and even higher above 22.3 °C (OR = 1.0235; 95% CI: 1.0230–1.0239). This study provides evidence that ED visits for AKI were associated with ambient temperature. Early detection and treatment of patients at risk is important in both clinical and economic concerns related to AKI.
The threat of tropical cyclones in East Asia is a critical public health issue and a key reason for constructing adaptation strategies for the challenges of climate change. Footnotes This manuscript has recently been accepted for publication in the European Respiratory Journal . It is published here in its accepted form prior to copyediting and typesetting by our production team. After these production processes are complete and the authors have approved the resulting proofs, the article will move to the latest issue of the ERJ online. Please open or download the PDF to view this article. Conflict of Interest: All authors have nothing to disclose.
Climate change, air pollution, and the rapidly aging population are important public health challenges. An understanding of air pollution impacts is imperative for preventing air-pollution-related deaths and illnesses, particularly in vulnerable subgroups such as the increasing population of older adults. To assess the effects of short-term air-pollution exposure on the elderly, we conducted a time-series analysis (1996–2015) of the associations between particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of <10 μm (PM10) and deaths among elderly residents of Seoul, South Korea, which has a rapidly aging population. We also investigated the synergistic effects of temperature and the lag structures of the effects by sex, cause of death, and season. A 10 μg/m3 rise in the 4-day moving average concentration of PM10 was associated with 0.31% (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.18% to 0.44%), 0.32% (95% CI: 0.09% to 0.55%), and 0.22% (95% CI: –0.23% to 0.66%) increases in non-accidental, cardiovascular, and respiratory mortalities, respectively. We found a significant and strong synergistic effect of PM10 concentration and ambient temperature on mortality in elderly people. PM10 posed an increased risk of non-accidental or cardiovascular mortality with increasing temperature, whereas the associated risk of respiratory death was highest on very cold days. The shape and length of the lag structure varied with the cause of death, sex, and season. Results indicate that elderly people exposed to PM10 are at increased risk of premature death. In the near future, these risks are likely to increase in step with the temperature rise associated with climate change and the continued population aging. Stronger emission controls will be needed to minimize the increased health risks associated with air pollution, especially in regions with high populations of elderly individuals.
Background:There is a growing concern that general anesthesia could increase the risk of dementia. However, the relationship between anesthesia and subsequent dementia is still undetermined. Objective:To determine whether the risk of dementia increases after exposure to general anesthesia. Methods: A population-based prospective cohort study analyzing the Korean National Health Insurance Service-National Sample Cohort database was conducted of all persons aged over 50 years (n = 219,423) from 1 January 2003 and 31 December 2013. Results:44,956 in the general anesthesia group and 174,469 in the control group were followed for 12 years. The risk of dementia associated with previous exposure to general anesthesia was increased after adjusting for all covariates such as gender, age, health care visit frequency, and co-morbidities (Hazard ratio = 1.285, 95% confidence interval = 1.262–1.384, time-varying Cox hazard model). In addition, the number of anesthetic agents administered, the number of exposures to general anesthesia, the cumulative exposure time, and the organ category involved in surgery were associated with risk of dementia. Conclusion:In light of the increasing societal burden of dementia, careful surveillance for dementia and prevention guidelines for patients after general anesthesia are needed.
This study investigated the effects of a drink supplement containing Momordica charantia extract from bitter melon on physical fitness and levels of stress hormones during a four-week exercise training program in a hot environment. Ten male tennis players were orally administrated in a four-week (100 ml, 6 times a day), and the pre- and post-supplementation levels of different physical fitness variables and cortisol, and adrenocorticotropic hormone in plasma were measured at four time-points-before (baseline), during, and after the exercise, and on the next day of the supplementation. The findings showed that the supplementation has significant positive effects on enhancement of physical fitness parameters especially balance (d = 22.10, p = 0.013), flexibility (d = 4.83, p = 0.015), and cardiorespiratory fitness (d = 10.00, p = 0.030). Moreover, the adrenocorticotropic hormone levels were reduced during the exercise, and the cortisol levels showed the decreasing trend during and after the exercise, which was correlated with the change of cardiorespiratory fitness (r = 0.65, p<0.05). These results indicated the possible adaptogenic effects of Momordica charantia extract intake. Based on the findings, we suggest that Momordica charantia could be used as a source of adaptogenic supplement to alleviate the exercise- and environment-induced stress.
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