The adverse impact of air pollution on heart and lungs
are well established. Air pollution has now emerged as a major environmental
risk factor for health.
Here is another adverse impact of air pollution.
A study of more than 2000 UK-born children says that
adolescents exposed to high levels of outdoor air pollution were more likely to
report psychotic experiences; though, this is not a cause and effect
association.
In the study published online March 27, 2019 in JAMA
Psychiatry, a total of 623 (30%) of the adolescents reported at least one
psychotic experience between ages 12 and 18.
Adolscents exposed to top-quartile levels of nitrogen
dioxide (NO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM2.5) had
71%, 72% and 45% greater odds, respectively, of psychotic experiences compared
with those exposed to the lowest-quartile levels.
Urbanicity is a well-established risk factor for clinical
(e.g, schizophrenia) and subclinical (e.g, hearing voices and paranoia)
expressions of psychosis.
Taken together, NO2 and NOx explained 60%
of the association between urbanicity (urban residency) and adolescent
psychotic experiences. According to the authors, this observation could
partly be the answer for the association between urban residency and adolescent
psychotic experiences.
Dr KK Aggarwal
Padma Shri
Awardee
President Elect Confederation of
Medical Associations in Asia and Oceania
(CMAAO)
Group
Editor-in-Chief IJCP Publications
President Heart
Care Foundation of India
Past National President
IMA
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