Even Brief Exposure to Air Pollution Linked to Appendicitis, Canadian Study Finds

Exposure to air pollution, even for relatively short periods of time, can cause inflammatory responses that can trigger appendicitis in adults, a new Canadian study has found.

Researchers from the University of Calgary and the University of Toronto found that exposing test subjects to nitrogen dioxide (the chemical found in automobile exhaust) for one week during the summer months when the pollutant is already at its highest levels more than doubled the risks of developing appendicitis, a potentially fatal condition.

The news was even worse for older people over age 64, who were more than four times more likely to come down with appendicitis when exposed to the air pollution, the study found. Also, men who tend to spend more time outside working and engaging in other activities also showed a greater risk.

Exposure to air pollution has also been linked to asthma, cancers, stroke, and other potentially fatal diseases.

Appendicitis Rates Increase Worldwide

The Canadian study was based on more than 5,000 medical files for patients admitted to three Calgary, Alberta-area hospitals for appendicitis over a period of seven years. More than half of all the cases – 52.5 percent – occurred between April and September. Those are the warmest months in Canada, when more people are outside and exposed to air pollution.

One in 12 Canadians are at risk of developing appendicitis, the study’s authors said, and millions of people in the United States also are increased risk of the disease. Appendectomies are among the most common surgeries performed worldwide.

Therefore, the findings about a link between short-term exposure to air pollution and appendicitis has the authors of the study concerned about sky rocketing health care costs.

“Even though the outcomes of the operations are actually really good, because it’s such a serious condition if it’s missed … it actually is a significant burden to the healthcare system,” an author told Reuters in an interview.

Researchers said more study is needed to confirm the initial findings of a link between air pollution and appendicitis. The Canadian study is published in the latest edition of the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

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