Addressing Air Quality and Health as a Strategy to Combat Climate Change
Authors: Elizabeth A. Joy, Benjamin D. Horne, Steven Bergstrom
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2016)

Editorials3 May 2016Addressing Air Quality and Health as a Strategy to Combat Climate ChangeElizabeth A. Joy, MD, MPH, Benjamin D. Horne, PhD, MPH, and Steven Bergstrom, BSElizabeth A. Joy, MD, MPHFrom Intermountain Healthcare, Salt Lake City, and Intermountain Healthcare, Midvale, Utah.Search for more papers by this author, Benjamin D. Horne, PhD, MPHFrom Intermountain Healthcare, Salt Lake City, and Intermountain Healthcare, Midvale, Utah.Search for more papers by this author, and Steven Bergstrom, BSFrom Intermountain Healthcare, Salt Lake City, and Intermountain Healthcare, Midvale, Utah.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/M16-0507 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail Poor air quality contributes to and is a consequence of global warming. The burning of fossil fuels to power our homes, businesses, and automobiles contributes to air pollution. When released into our atmosphere, some forms of pollution trap heat, leading to temperature elevation, and air pollution has direct effects on health, such as worsening cardiopulmonary disease (1). In this week's Annals, the American College of Physicians calls for action to combat climate change and its effects on health, including governmental action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, health care sector implementation of environmentally sustainable and energy-efficient practices, physician advocacy for policies ...References1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Air Quality. Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 2014. Accessed at www.cdc.gov/air/air_health.htm on 19 February 2016. Google Scholar2. Crowley RA; Health and Public Policy Committee of the American College of Physicians. Climate change and health: a position paper of the American College of Physicians. Ann Intern Med. 2016;164:608-10. doi:10.7326/M15-2766 LinkGoogle Scholar3. World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe. Review of evidence on health aspects of air pollution—REVIHAAP project: final technical report. Copenhagen: World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe; 2013. Google Scholar4. Pope CA, Muhlestein JB, May HT, Renlund DG, Anderson JL, Horne BD. Ischemic heart disease events triggered by short-term exposure to fine particulate air pollution. Circulation. 2006;114:2443-8. [PMID: 17101851] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar5. Pope CA, Muhlestein JB, Anderson JL, Cannon JB, Hales NM, Meredith KG, et al. Short-term exposure to fine particulate matter air pollution is preferentially associated with the risk of ST-segment elevation acute coronary events. J Am Heart Assoc. 2015;4. [PMID: 26645834] doi:10.1161/JAHA.115.002506 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar6. Pope CA, Renlund DG, Kfoury AG, May HT, Horne BD. Relation of heart failure hospitalization to exposure to fine particulate air pollution. Am J Cardiol. 2008;102:1230-4. [PMID: 18940298] doi:10.1016/j.amjcard.2008.06.044 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar7. Intermountain Healthcare. Intermountain Healthcare Sustainability Annual Report 2014. Salt Lake City, UT: Intermountain Healthcare; 2015. Accessed at https://intermountainhealthcare.org/annual-report/pdf/sustainability-annual-report-2014.pdf on 29 February 2016. Google Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: From Intermountain Healthcare, Salt Lake City, and Intermountain Healthcare, Midvale, Utah.Disclosures: Authors have disclosed no conflicts of interest. Forms can be viewed at www.acponline.org/authors/icmje/ConflictOfInterestForms.do?msNum=M16-0507.Corresponding Author: Elizabeth A. Joy, MD, MPH, Medical Director, Community Health, Intermountain Healthcare, 36 South State Street, Salt Lake City, UT 84111; e-mail, liz.[email protected]org.Current Author Addresses: Dr. Joy: Medical Director, Community Health, Intermountain Healthcare, 36 South State Street, Salt Lake City, UT 84111.Dr. Horne: Intermountain Heart Institute, 5121 South Cottonwood Street, Salt Lake City, UT 84107.Mr. Bergstrom: Intermountain Healthcare, 7302 South Bingham Junction Boulevard, Midvale, UT 84047.This article was published at www.annals.org on 19 April 2016. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoClimate Change and Health: A Position Paper of the American College of Physicians Ryan A. Crowley and Metrics Cited byGeographic disparities persist despite decline in mortality from IHD in California’s Central Valley 1999–2014Complex Assessment of Atmospheric Air Quality in the City of GelendzhikAlternative Facts Have No Place in ScienceChristine Laine, MD, MPH and Darren B. Taichman, MD, PhD 3 May 2016Volume 164, Issue 9Page: 626-627KeywordsAir pollutionAir qualityClimate changeEnvironmental healthHealth careParticulatesPneumoniaPrevention, policy, and public healthSaltsTemperature ePublished: 19 April 2016 Issue Published: 3 May 2016 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2016 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...