
MONDAY, Feb. 27, 2023 (HealthDay News) – Children in Sweden’s capital can breathe a little easier. As Stockholm’s air has gotten cleaner, young people’s lungs have gotten stronger, new research shows. The findings could have implications for cities worldwide. While the adverse impact of air pollutants on kids’ lung health is well-documented, the impact of changes in air quality on lung development is less studied, researchers noted. Children’s lung health greatly affects their future risk of developing chronic lung diseases. “Fortunately, we’ve seen a decrease in air pollutants and therefore an increase in air quality in Stockholm over the past 20 years,” said co-author Dr. Erik Melén, a pediatrician and professor in the Department of Clinical Research and Education at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm. “We therefore also wanted to examine if the lungs of children also improved during this period.” For the study, researchers used data from the BAMSE project, which is following about 4,000 individuals born between 1994 and 1996. Participants completed questionnaires at age 8, 16 and 24 and had lung function tests. Researchers also estimated concentrations of airborne pollutants, mostly from traffic, at sites where participants lived from birth until early adulthood. Air pollution was roughly 40% lower in Stockholm between 2016 and 2019 than it was between 2002 and 2004. At some locations, it decreased by 60%. Others have had… read on > read on >