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Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety Apr 2023We aimed to evaluate the relationship between the composition of particulate matter (PM) and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) by a comprehensively review of... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
OBJECTIVE
We aimed to evaluate the relationship between the composition of particulate matter (PM) and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) by a comprehensively review of epidemiological studies.
METHODS
We systematically identified cohort studies related to air pollution and GDM risk before February 8, 2023 from six databases (PubMed, Embase, Web of Science Core Collection, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Data Knowledge Service Platform and Chongqing VIP Chinese Science and Technology Periodical databases). We calculated the relative risk (RR) and its 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to assess the overall effect by using a random effects model.
RESULTS
This meta-analysis of 31 eligible cohort studies showed that exposure to PM, PM, SO, and NO was associated with a significantly increased risk of GDM, especially in preconception and first trimester. Analysis of the components of PM found that the risk of GDM was strongly linked to black carbon (BC) and nitrates (NO). Specifically, BC exposure in the second trimester and NO exposure in the first trimester elevated the risk of GDM, with the RR of 1.128 (1.032-1.231) and 1.128 (1.032-1.231), respectively. The stratified analysis showed stronger correlations of GDM risk with higher levels of pollutants in Asia, except for PM and BC, which suggested that the specific composition of particulate pollutants had a greater effect on the exposure-outcome association than the concentration.
CONCLUSIONS
Our study found that ambient air pollutant is a critical factor for GDM and further studies on specific particulate matter components should be considered in the future.
Topics: Pregnancy; Female; Humans; Diabetes, Gestational; Air Pollution; Air Pollutants; Particulate Matter; Cohort Studies; Environmental Exposure
PubMed: 36934545
DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2023.114802 -
The Cochrane Database of Systematic... Sep 2015Recovery strategies are often used with the intention of preventing or minimising muscle soreness after exercise. Whole-body cryotherapy, which involves a single or... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
Recovery strategies are often used with the intention of preventing or minimising muscle soreness after exercise. Whole-body cryotherapy, which involves a single or repeated exposure(s) to extremely cold dry air (below -100 °C) in a specialised chamber or cabin for two to four minutes per exposure, is currently being advocated as an effective intervention to reduce muscle soreness after exercise.
OBJECTIVES
To assess the effects (benefits and harms) of whole-body cryotherapy (extreme cold air exposure) for preventing and treating muscle soreness after exercise in adults.
SEARCH METHODS
We searched the Cochrane Bone, Joint and Muscle Trauma Group Specialised Register, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, the British Nursing Index and the Physiotherapy Evidence Database. We also searched the reference lists of articles, trial registers and conference proceedings, handsearched journals and contacted experts.The searches were run in August 2015.
SELECTION CRITERIA
We aimed to include randomised and quasi-randomised trials that compared the use of whole-body cryotherapy (WBC) versus a passive or control intervention (rest, no treatment or placebo treatment) or active interventions including cold or contrast water immersion, active recovery and infrared therapy for preventing or treating muscle soreness after exercise in adults. We also aimed to include randomised trials that compared different durations or dosages of WBC. Our prespecified primary outcomes were muscle soreness, subjective recovery (e.g. tiredness, well-being) and adverse effects.
DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
Two review authors independently screened search results, selected studies, assessed risk of bias and extracted and cross-checked data. Where appropriate, we pooled results of comparable trials. The random-effects model was used for pooling where there was substantial heterogeneity. We assessed the quality of the evidence using GRADE.
MAIN RESULTS
Four laboratory-based randomised controlled trials were included. These reported results for 64 physically active predominantly young adults (mean age 23 years). All but four participants were male. Two trials were parallel group trials (44 participants) and two were cross-over trials (20 participants). The trials were heterogeneous, including the type, temperature, duration and frequency of WBC, and the type of preceding exercise. None of the trials reported active surveillance of predefined adverse events. All four trials had design features that carried a high risk of bias, potentially limiting the reliability of their findings. The evidence for all outcomes was classified as 'very low' quality based on the GRADE criteria.Two comparisons were tested: WBC versus control (rest or no WBC), tested in four studies; and WBC versus far-infrared therapy, also tested in one study. No studies compared WBC with other active interventions, such as cold water immersion, or different types and applications of WBC.All four trials compared WBC with rest or no WBC. There was very low quality evidence for lower self-reported muscle soreness (pain at rest) scores after WBC at 1 hour (standardised mean difference (SMD) -0.77, 95% confidence interval (CI) -1.42 to -0.12; 20 participants, 2 cross-over trials); 24 hours (SMD -0.57, 95% CI -1.48 to 0.33) and 48 hours (SMD -0.58, 95% CI -1.37 to 0.21), both with 38 participants, 2 cross-over studies, 1 parallel group study; and 72 hours (SMD -0.65, 95% CI -2.54 to 1.24; 29 participants, 1 cross-over study, 1 parallel group study). Of note is that the 95% CIs also included either no between-group differences or a benefit in favour of the control group. One small cross-over trial (9 participants) found no difference in tiredness but better well-being after WBC at 24 hours post exercise. There was no report of adverse events.One small cross-over trial involving nine well-trained runners provided very low quality evidence of lower levels of muscle soreness after WBC, when compared with infrared therapy, at 1 hour follow-up, but not at 24 or 48 hours. The same trial found no difference in well-being but less tiredness after WBC at 24 hours post exercise. There was no report of adverse events.
AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS
There is insufficient evidence to determine whether whole-body cryotherapy (WBC) reduces self-reported muscle soreness, or improves subjective recovery, after exercise compared with passive rest or no WBC in physically active young adult males. There is no evidence on the use of this intervention in females or elite athletes. The lack of evidence on adverse events is important given that the exposure to extreme temperature presents a potential hazard. Further high-quality, well-reported research in this area is required and must provide detailed reporting of adverse events.
Topics: Adult; Air; Cryotherapy; Exercise; Extreme Cold; Female; Humans; Male; Myalgia; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Rest; Young Adult
PubMed: 26383887
DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD010789.pub2 -
Acta Neurochirurgica Sep 2022Concerns arise when patients with pneumocephalus engage in air travel. How hypobaric cabin pressure affects intracranial air is largely unclear. A widespread concern is... (Review)
Review
INTRODUCTION
Concerns arise when patients with pneumocephalus engage in air travel. How hypobaric cabin pressure affects intracranial air is largely unclear. A widespread concern is that the intracranial volume could relevantly expand during flight and lead to elevated intracranial pressure. The aim of this systematic review was to identify and summarise models and case reports with confirmed pre-flight pneumocephalus.
METHODS
The terms (pneumocephalus OR intracranial air) AND (flying OR fly OR travel OR air transport OR aircraft) were used to search the database PubMed on 30 November 2021. This search returned 144 results. To be included, a paper needed to fulfil each of the following criteria: (i) peer-reviewed publication of case reports, surveys, simulations or laboratory experiments that focussed on air travel with pre-existing pneumocephalus; (ii) available in full text.
RESULTS
Thirteen studies met the inclusion criteria after title or abstract screening. We additionally identified five more articles when reviewing the references. A notion that repeatedly surfaced is that any air contained within the neurocranium increases in volume at higher altitude, much like any extracranial gas, potentially resulting in tension pneumocephalus or increased intracranial pressure.
DISCUSSION
Relatively conservative thresholds for patients flying with pneumocephalus are suggested based on models where the intracranial air equilibrates with cabin pressure, although intracranial air in a confined space would be surrounded by the intracranial pressure. There is a discrepancy between the models and case presentations in that we found no reports of permanent or transient decompensation secondary to a pre-existing pneumocephalus during air travel. Nevertheless, the quality of examination varies and clinicians might tend to refrain from reporting adverse events. We identified a persistent extracranial to intracranial fistulous process in multiple cases with newly diagnosed pneumocephalus after flight. Finally, we summarised management principles to avoid complications from pneumocephalus during air travel and argue that a patient-specific understanding of the pathophysiology and time course of the pneumocephalus are potentially more important than its volume.
Topics: Air Travel; Humans; Intracranial Hypertension; Intracranial Pressure; Pneumocephalus
PubMed: 35794427
DOI: 10.1007/s00701-022-05297-5 -
Annual Review of Medicine Jan 2024We review current knowledge on the trends and drivers of global wildfire activity, advances in the measurement of wildfire smoke exposure, and evidence on the health... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
We review current knowledge on the trends and drivers of global wildfire activity, advances in the measurement of wildfire smoke exposure, and evidence on the health effects of this exposure. We describe methodological issues in estimating the causal effects of wildfire smoke exposures on health and quantify their importance, emphasizing the role of nonlinear and lagged effects. We conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of the health effects of wildfire smoke exposure, finding positive impacts on all-cause mortality and respiratory hospitalizations but less consistent evidence on cardiovascular morbidity. We conclude by highlighting priority areas for future research, including leveraging recently developed spatially and temporally resolved wildfire-specific ambient air pollution data to improve estimates of the health effects of wildfire smoke exposure.
Topics: Humans; Air Pollution; Environmental Exposure; Hospitalization; Smoke; Wildfires
PubMed: 37738508
DOI: 10.1146/annurev-med-052422-020909 -
Laryngoscope Investigative... Apr 2022Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a highly prevalent and burdensome disease. The pathophysiology is not fully elucidated, but environmental pollutants have been suggested... (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVE
Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a highly prevalent and burdensome disease. The pathophysiology is not fully elucidated, but environmental pollutants have been suggested to impact the inflammatory component of the disease process. This review aims to summarize the role of environmental pollution in CRS onset and disease severity.
METHODS
A systematic review was performed following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Scopus databases were queried in August 2021. Original articles reporting on air pollution exposure in CRS were included. Other forms of sinonasal disease were excluded.
RESULTS
Literature search produced 11,983 articles, of which 10 met inclusion criteria. Outcomes evaluated included incidence/prevalence, disease severity, quality of life, and histopathologic/microbial changes. Air pollutant exposure was associated with higher odds of CRS, particularly with particulate matter (PM) exposure. Increasing air pollution exposure was also associated with worsened disease severity and detectable histopathologic changes. Impact on quality of life was less clear.
CONCLUSION
Air pollution (particularly PM) is correlated with CRS incidence/prevalence and disease severity, with evidence of histopathologic changes in CRS tissue samples. Further research is warranted to better understand the mechanisms by which air pollution components may cause CRS and type 2 inflammation.
LEVEL OF EVIDENCE
3a.
PubMed: 35434330
DOI: 10.1002/lio2.774 -
International Journal of Environmental... Jul 2016An influence of climate upon stroke risk is biologically plausible and supported by epidemiological evidence. We aimed to determine whether air pressure (AP) and... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND/AIMS
An influence of climate upon stroke risk is biologically plausible and supported by epidemiological evidence. We aimed to determine whether air pressure (AP) and humidity are associated with hospital stroke admission.
METHODS
We searched MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Web of Science, and GEOBASE, from inception to 16 October 2015 to identify relevant population-based observational studies. Where possible, data were pooled for meta-analysis with odds ratios (OR) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) by means of the random-effect method.
RESULTS
We included 11 studies with a total of 314,385 patients. The effect of AP was varied across studies for ischemic stroke (IS) and subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH). Pooled ORs (95%CI) associated with 1 hPa increase in AP for the risk of IS, intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and SAH were 1.00 (0.99-1.01), 1.01 (0.99-1.02) and 1.02 (0.97-1.07) respectively. The pooled ORs (95%CI) associated with 1 percent increase in humidity for the risk of IS and ICH were 1.00 (1.00-1.01) and 1.00 (0.99-1.01) respectively.
CONCLUSION
This review shows that there is no evidence of a relationship between AP or humidity and the occurrence of hospital admission for stroke. Further research is needed to clarify the extent and nature of any relationship between AP, humidity and stroke in different geographical areas.
Topics: Air Pressure; Cerebral Hemorrhage; Humans; Humidity; Stroke; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
PubMed: 27399733
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph13070675 -
Risk Management and Healthcare Policy 2021Air pollution is associated with inflammation and oxidative stress, which predispose to several chronic diseases in human. Emerging evidence suggests that the severity... (Review)
Review
Air pollution is associated with inflammation and oxidative stress, which predispose to several chronic diseases in human. Emerging evidence suggests that the severity and progression of osteoporosis are directly associated with inflammation induced by air pollutants like particulate matter (PM). This systematic review examined the relationship between PM and bone health or fractures. A comprehensive literature search was conducted from January until February 2021 using the PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar and Cochrane Library databases. Human cross-sectional, cohort and case-control studies were considered. Of the 1500 papers identified, 14 articles were included based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The air pollution index investigated by most studies were PM and PM. Current studies demonstrated inconsistent associations between PM and osteoporosis risk or fractures, which may partly due to the heterogeneity in subjects' characteristics, study design and analysis. In conclusion, there is an inconclusive relationship between osteoporosis risk and fracture and PM exposures which require further validation.
PubMed: 34194253
DOI: 10.2147/RMHP.S316429 -
Iranian Journal of Public Health Jan 2019During the past 20 years, the prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) has increased by ∼10%-100% in several race/ethnicity groups. There is an association... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
During the past 20 years, the prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) has increased by ∼10%-100% in several race/ethnicity groups. There is an association between ambient air pollution (AAP) and GDM. This study aimed to ummarize the evidence about the association between AAP and GDM.
METHODS
PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science and Cochrane Library were searched from inception till Oct 2017. Studies about the association between ambient air pollutants levels and GDM were included. Pooled effect estimates and their 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated using .
RESULTS
Eight studies met the inclusion criteria. The odds of developing GDM upon exposure to CO (per 1 ppm), NO (per 1 ppb), NO2 (per 10 μg/m3), NOx (per 1 ppb), O3 (per 10 ppb), SO2 (per 10 ppb), PM10 (per 10 μg/m3) and PM2.5 (per 10 μg/m3) were 1.47 (95% CI 0.88-2.06), 1.04 (95% CI 1.03-1.06), 1 (95% CI 0.93-1.08), 1.02 (95% CI 1-1.04), 1.05 (95% CI 0.94-1.16), 1.39 (95% CI 1.04-1.73), 0.97 (95% CI 0.94-0.99) and 1.12 (95% CI 0.93-1.31), respectively.
CONCLUSION
The current literature showed evidence for an association between AAP and GDM. However, further well-designed studies are needed.
PubMed: 30847307
DOI: No ID Found -
Fertility and Sterility Sep 2016Exposure to air pollution has been clearly associated with a range of adverse health effects, including reproductive toxicity, but its effects on male semen quality are... (Review)
Review
UNLABELLED
Exposure to air pollution has been clearly associated with a range of adverse health effects, including reproductive toxicity, but its effects on male semen quality are still unclear. We performed a systematic review (up to June 2016) to assess the impact of air pollutants on sperm quality. We included 17 semi-ecological, panel, and cohort studies, assessing outdoor air pollutants, such as PM2.5, PM10, NOx, SO2, and O3, and their effects on DNA fragmentation, sperm count, sperm motility, and sperm morphology. Thirteen studies assessed air pollution exposure measured environmentally, and six used biomarkers of air pollution exposure (two did both). We rated the studies using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale and assessed with the exposure method. Taking into account these factors and the number of studies finding significant results (positive or negative), the evidence supporting an effect of air pollution on DNA fragmentation is weak but suggestive, on sperm motility is limited and probably inexistent, on lower sperm count is inconclusive, and on sperm morphology is very suggestive. Because of the diversity of air pollutants and sperm parameters, and the studies' designs, we were unable to perform a meta-analysis. In summary, most studies concluded that outdoor air pollution affects at least one of the four semen quality parameters included in the review. However, results lack consistency, and furthermore, studies were not comparable. Studies using standardized air pollution and semen measures are required to obtain more reliable conclusions.
PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER
CRD42015007175.
Topics: Air Pollutants; Air Pollution; DNA Fragmentation; Endocrine Disruptors; Environmental Monitoring; Fertility; Humans; Infertility, Male; Male; Paternal Exposure; Reproduction; Risk Assessment; Risk Factors; Sperm Count; Sperm Motility; Spermatozoa
PubMed: 27565259
DOI: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2016.08.022 -
Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews May 2022Early life exposure to air pollution has been associated with neurodevelopmental disorders. Emerging evidence are highlighting a possible impact of air pollution on... (Review)
Review
Early life exposure to air pollution has been associated with neurodevelopmental disorders. Emerging evidence are highlighting a possible impact of air pollution on typically developing children. Thirty papers were included in this review to systematically evaluate the association between air pollutants exposure in prenatal and/or postnatal periods and specific neurodevelopmental skills (i.e. intellective functioning, memory and learning, attention and executive functions, verbal language, numeric ability and motor and/or sensorimotor functions) in preschool- and school-age children. Detrimental effects of air pollutants on children's neurodevelopmental skills were observed, although they do not show clinically relevant performance deficits. The most affected domains were global intellective functioning and attention/executive functions. The pollutants that seem to represent the greatest risk are PM2.5, NO₂ and PAHs. Prenatal exposure is primarily associated with child neurodevelopment at pre-school and school ages. Early exposure to air pollutants is related to adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes in the general population of children. Further research is needed to support stronger conclusions.
Topics: Air Pollutants; Air Pollution; Child; Child, Preschool; Environmental Exposure; Female; Humans; Neurodevelopmental Disorders; Particulate Matter; Pregnancy
PubMed: 35331818
DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104623