Researchers examined 69 patients COPD for approximately a year and a half during the warm weather season. Participants completed home environmental monitoring with measurement of temperature, relative humidity and indoor air pollutants as well as daily assessments of respiratory health with questionnaires and portable spirometry.
Here are three insights:
1. Increases in maximum indoor temperature were associated with worsening of daily Breathlessness, Cough and Sputum Scores and increases in rescue inhaler use.
2. The temperature’s detrimental effect on these outcomes increased with higher concentrations of indoor fine particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide.
3. On days that patients went outdoors, researchers noted an increase in maximum daily outdoor temperature with increases in BCSS scores.
“Adaptive strategies that include optimization of indoor environmental conditions are needed to protect this high-risk group from adverse health effects of heat,” concluded study authors.
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