Short-term effect of some air pollutants on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease hospitalizations among the elderly: A systematic review and meta analysis

Abstract

Objectives: The link between short-term effects of air pollution on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) among the elderly need to be concerned now. This systematic review was conducted to: 1) Describe the characteristics of studies that assess the impact of air pollutants on COPD hospitalizations among the elderly in countries in the world and 2) Using the meta-analysis method to estimate the short-term aggregate impact of these factors.

Methodology: This is systematic review searching for documents with an observational epidemiological study design that addresses the impact of air pollution factors on COPD hospitalizations among the elderly. Meta-analysis with a random impact model is used to calculate the estimated relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence intervals.

Results: A total of 24 valid documents were included. Common air pollutants increase the likelihood of COPD hospitalizations among the elderly.

Conclusion: There is sufficient evidence to confirm the short-term effects of air pollutants on COPD hospitalization among the elderly.