Department of Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Science, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Science, Nagasaki-City, Japan.
Tohoku J Exp Med. 2013 Jul;230(3):177-84. doi: 10.1620/tjem.230.177.
Lung function is one of the strongest determinants of cardiopulmonary health and longevity. Long-term exposure to air pollution has been associated with decreased lung function. We undertook a retrospective study to compare the long-term consequences of air pollution in two areas of Japan: Mizushima, Okayama Prefecture and Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture. Industrialization began in Mizushima in the 1940s, whereas it began in Kitakyushu in the early 1900s. In Kitakyushu, levels of nitrogen dioxide have been higher compared to the Mizushima area. The subjects comprised 623 officially acknowledged victims of pollution-related illness (489 from Mizushima and 134 from Kitakyushu). All subjects were lifetime non-smokers and aged 65 years or older at the time of their last medical examination in 2009. Demographic data including diagnosed lung diseases and lung function at the time of certification assessment performed between 1973 and 1988 were obtained. The subjects from Kitakyushu were significantly younger (47.1 vs. 51.0 years, p < 0.001) and a higher percentage had asthma (91.2 vs. 36.8%, p < 0.001) compared to those from Mizushima. Furthermore, all measures of lung function were significantly lower in Kitakyushu group at the time of the certification assessment (p < 0.001) and at the follow-up (p < 0.001). However, no significant differences were observed in the annual mean decline in lung function between the two groups, despite the overall decrease in air pollution. In conclusion, the normal lung function is not restored even after improvement of air pollution. It is essential for every city to prevent air pollution.
肺功能是心肺健康和长寿的最强决定因素之一。长期暴露于空气污染与肺功能下降有关。我们进行了一项回顾性研究，比较了日本两个地区的长期空气污染后果：冈山县的水岛和福冈县的北九州。水岛的工业化始于 20 世纪 40 年代，而北九州则始于 20 世纪初。北九州的二氧化氮水平相对较高。研究对象包括 623 名经官方认定的与污染相关疾病的受害者（489 名来自水岛，134 名来自北九州）。所有研究对象均为终身不吸烟者，且在 2009 年最后一次体检时年龄均在 65 岁以上。获得了人口统计学数据，包括诊断出的肺部疾病和 1973 年至 1988 年期间进行认证评估时的肺功能。与水岛的患者相比，来自北九州的患者明显更年轻（47.1 岁比 51.0 岁，p < 0.001），且哮喘的比例更高（91.2%比 36.8%，p < 0.001）。此外，在认证评估时（p < 0.001）和随访时（p < 0.001），北九州组的所有肺功能指标均明显更低。然而，尽管空气污染总体下降，但两组之间的肺功能年平均下降率没有差异。总之，即使在改善空气污染之后，正常的肺功能也无法恢复。每个城市都必须防止空气污染。
