The grant will allow National Jewish pediatric researchers Nathan Rabinovitch M.D., and Erwin Gelfand, M.D., to quantify the long-term effects of airborne particulates measuring less than 2.5 microns in diameter (PM2.5) on lung function and asthma exacerbations in children with moderate to severe asthma. PM2.5 particles result from combustible sources, such as tobacco smoke and automobile exhaust. When inhaled, they can be deposited in the small airways of the lung. The researchers will also determine if environmental interventions that decrease PM2.5 exposure, such as air purifiers and HEPA-filter vacuuming, result in sustained improvements in children's lung function.
"Our goal is to better understand the role air pollution plays in the health of children with asthma and to see if we can protect them against potential harm caused by small particles in the air," said Dr. Gelfand, Chairman of the National Jewish Department of Pediatrics.
Affecting more than 6 million American children, asthma is now the most common chronic disease of childhood. Despite major improvements in treatments and medications, asthma rates have more than doubled in the last 10 years, particularly in urban settings, which generally have more air pollution from combustible sources.
Researchers will enlist the volunteer help of students who attend the Kunsberg School on the National Jewish campus, a K-7 school for children who suffer from asthma and other chronic diseases. The students will carry portable air-quality monitoring devices, which can be worn like a backpack or waistpack. These devices directly measure PM2.5 particles in the air that the students breathe at ho
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Contact: William Allstetter
allstetterw@njc.org
303-398-1002
National Jewish Medical and Research Center
19-Jul-2002