Polluted air is a public health hazard that cannot be evaded. It is widely known that long-term exposure to air pollution enhances the risks of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry and the University Medical Center Mainz now calculated in a ...new study that the global, public loss of life expectancy caused by air pollution is higher than many other risk factors such as smoking, infectious diseases or violence
more
The article from The Lancet Global Health discusses the "silent epidemic" of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in Africa, emphasizing its status as an under-recognized yet significant health issue. Although COPD is the third leading cause of death globally, it remains largely overlooked i...n African countries. The article highlights studies indicating varying prevalence rates of COPD across sub-Saharan Africa, with major risk factors including tobacco smoking and biomass smoke exposure. The findings suggest that COPD in Africa often affects younger age groups (30–40 years), likely due to early exposure to biomass smoke. The author calls for better education and training for healthcare providers and urges policymakers to address COPD through improved surveillance and effective prevention and treatment strategies.
more
The article "The silent epidemic of COPD in Africa" discusses the under-recognized yet significant prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in Africa. Despite being the third leading cause of death worldwide, COPD remains poorly studied and largely unknown in sub-Saharan Africa. Th...e article highlights risk factors such as tobacco smoking and biomass smoke exposure, which significantly affect both men and women. Biomass smoke, in particular, is linked to COPD in younger individuals and impacts women due to prolonged exposure during cooking. The piece calls for better awareness, training for healthcare providers, and proactive measures to address and manage COPD in the region.
more
Asbestos, the most frequent cause of occupational cancer, continues to be consumed ona massive scale, with millions of people exposed on a daily basis. This review explains why we havefailed in curtailing the silent epidemic of asbestos-related disease and why the numbers of asbestosvictims are like...ly to remain high. Emerging and developed countries have to be reminded that asbestosexposure has yet to become a problem of the past. The worldwide spread of asbestos, followed by thesurge of asbestos-related cancers, resembles the lung cancer epidemic caused by smoking andstimulated by manufacturers.
more
The article "The burden of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and its attributable risk factors in the Middle East and North Africa region, 1990–2019" provides an analysis of the prevalence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) due to COPD in the MENA region from 1990 to 2019. ...The study uses data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2019 and shows that while age-standardized death and DALY rates have decreased over 30 years, COPD remains a significant health issue, especially among older populations. The main risk factors identified are smoking, ambient particulate pollution, and occupational exposure. The research underscores the impact of socioeconomic factors and recommends targeted public health initiatives to reduce the burden.
more
The article provides a systematic review and meta-analysis of the prevalence and risk factors of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). It highlights that COPD is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in the region, with prevalence rates ranging from 1.7% ...to 24.8% and an average pooled prevalence of 8%. The analysis points out that smoking, exposure to biomass smoke, and age are key risk factors. The study emphasizes the need for improved diagnosis and awareness, as COPD often remains underdiagnosed and undertreated in SSA. The authors call for coordinated efforts from clinicians, researchers, and policymakers to address these issues and reduce exposure to preventable risk factors.
more
People in prisons and other places of detention live in a closed environment and in close proximity with one another – conditions that facilitate transmission of diseases. They also have a greater underlying burden of disease and worse health conditions than the general population, and frequently ...face greater exposure to risks such as smoking, poor hygiene and weak immune defence due to stress, poor nutrition or existing diseases. All these factors make people living in prison more susceptible to infections.
more
Diabetes mellitus is a leading cause of mortality and reduced life expectancy. We aim to estimate the burden of diabetes by type, year, regions, and socioeconomic status in 195 countries and territories over the past 28 years, which provide information to achieve the goal of World Health Organizatio...n Global Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases in 2025. Data were obtained from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017. Overall, the global burden of diabetes had increased significantly since 1990. Both the trend and magnitude of diabetes related diseases burden varied substantially across regions and countries. In 2017, global incidence, prevalence, death, and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) associated with diabetes were 22.9 million, 476.0 million, 1.37 million, and 67.9 million, with a projection to 26.6 million, 570.9 million, 1.59 million, and 79.3 million in 2025, respectively. The trend of global type 2 diabetes burden was similar to that of total diabetes (including type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes), while global age-standardized rate of mortality and DALYs for type 1 diabetes declined. Globally, metabolic risks (high BMI) and behavioral factors (inappropriate diet, smoking, and low physical activity) contributed the most attributable death and DALYs of diabetes. These estimations could be useful in policy-making, priority setting, and resource allocation in diabetes prevention and treatment.
more
Long-term exposure of humans to air pollution enhances the risk of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. A novel Global Exposure Mortality Model (GEMM) has been derived from many cohort studies, providing much-improved coverage of the exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5). We applied the GE...MM to assess excess mortality attributable to ambient air pollution on a global scale and compare to other risk factors.
Methods and results
We used a data-informed atmospheric model to calculate worldwide exposure to PM2.5 and ozone pollution, which was combined with the GEMM to estimate disease-specific excess mortality and loss of life expectancy (LLE) in 2015. Using this model, we investigated the effects of different pollution sources, distinguishing between natural (wildfires, aeolian dust) and anthropogenic emissions, including fossil fuel use. Global excess mortality from all ambient air pollution is estimated at 8.8 (7.11–10.41) million/year, with an LLE of 2.9 (2.3–3.5) years, being a factor of two higher than earlier estimates, and exceeding that of tobacco smoking. The global mean mortality rate of about 120 per 100 000 people/year is much exceeded in East Asia (196 per 100 000/year) and Europe (133 per 100 000/year). Without fossil fuel emissions, the global mean life expectancy would increase by 1.1 (0.9–1.2) years and 1.7 (1.4–2.0) years by removing all potentially controllable anthropogenic emissions. Because aeolian dust and wildfire emission control is impracticable, significant LLE is unavoidable.
Conclusion
Ambient air pollution is one of the main global health risks, causing significant excess mortality and LLE, especially through cardiovascular diseases. It causes an LLE that rivals that of tobacco smoking. The global mean LLE from air pollution strongly exceeds that by violence (all forms together), i.e. by an order of magnitude (LLE being 2.9 and 0.3 years, respectively).
more
The document provides inforation on tobacco use (health effects, quitting, benefits of quitting, e-cigarettes etc.) in a descriptive way.
Tobacco kills up to half of its users who don’t quit (1-3).
Tobacco kills more than 8 million people each year, including an estimated 1.3 million non-smokers who are exposed to second-hand smoke Around 80% of the world's 1.3 billion tobacco users live in low- and middle-income countries.In 2020,... 22.3% of the world’s population used tobacco: 36.7% of men and 7.8% of women.
To address the tobacco epidemic, WHO Member States adopted the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) in 2003. Currently 182 countries are Parties to this treaty.
The WHO MPOWER measures are in line with the WHO FCTC and have been shown to save lives and reduce costs from averted healthcare expenditure.
more
La colección incluye revisiones Cochrane sobre los siguientes temas: medicamentos; apoyo conductual; y abandono gradual. Las intervenciones que imitan el acto de fumar, especialmente los cigarrillos electrónicos, se han excluido de esta colección ya que los riesgos asociados a su uso en relación... con la pandemia actual no están claros. El Grupo Cochrane de Adicción al Tabaco está trabajando para mantenerse al día con toda la información relevante y brindar apoyo a las personas que intentan dejar de fumar durante este momento difícil.
more
Diese Sonderkollektion enthält Cochrane Reviews zu den folgenden Themen: Medikamente; Verhaltensunterstützung; und allmähliches Aufhören. Interventionen, die den Vorgang des Rauchens imitieren, insbesondere E-Zigaretten, wurden von dieser Sonderkollektion ausgeschlossen, da die Risiken ihrer Ver...wendung vor dem Hintergrund der aktuellen Pandemie unklar sind. Cochrane Tobacco Addiction arbeitet daran, zu allen relevanten Informationen auf dem aktuellen Stand zu bleiben, um Menschen, die während dieser schwierigen Zeit mit dem Rauchen aufhören wollen, Unterstützung zu bieten.
more
Esta Coleção Especial inclui Revisões Cochrane sobre os seguintes tópicos: medicação; apoio comportamental; e desistência gradual. As intervenções que imitam o ato de fumar, especialmente os cigarros electrónicos, foram excluídas desta coleção uma vez que os riscos associados ao seu uso... em relação à atual pandemia não são claros. O grupo Cochrane Tobacco Addiction está trabalhando para se manter atualizado com todas as informações relevantes, para apoiar as pessoas que tentam parar de fumar durante este período difícil.
more
Koleksi Istimewa ini termasuk Ulasan Cochrane mengenai topik berikut: ubat-ubatan; sokongan tingkah laku; dan berhenti secara beransur-ansur. Intervensi yang meniru tindakan merokok, terutamanya e-rokok, telah dikecualikan daripada koleksi ini kerana risiko yang berkaitan dengan penggunaannya berhub...ung dengan pandemik semasa tidak jelas. Ketergantungan Tembakau Cochrane sedang berusaha untuk terus kemaskini pada semua maklumat yang berkaitan, untuk memberikan sokongan kepada orang yang cuba berhenti merokok dalam masa yang sukar ini.
more
Cette collection spéciale comprend des revues Cochrane sur les sujets suivants : les médicaments, le soutien comportemental et le sevrage tabagique progressif. Les interventions qui imitent l'acte de fumer, notamment les cigarettes électroniques, ont été exclues de cette collection car les risq...ues associés à leur utilisation en relation avec la pandémie actuelle ne sont pas clairs. Le Groupe Cochrane sur le Tabagisme travaille pour rester à jour sur toutes les informations pertinentes, afin d'apporter un soutien aux personnes qui tentent d'arrêter de fumer pendant cette période difficile.
more
این مجموعه ویژه شامل مرورهای کاکرین در موضوعات زیر است: دارو، پشتیبانی رفتاری، و ترک تدریجی. مداخلاتی که عمل سیگار کشیدن را تقلید میکنند، بهویژه سیگارهای الکترون...یکی، بهعلت اینکه خطر مرتبط با استفاده از آنها در همهگیری اخیر واضح نیست؛ از این مجموعه خارج شدهاند. گروه اعتیاد به دخانیات کاکرین در حال کار هستند تا همه اطلاعات مرتبط را به منظور ارائه پشتیبانی به افرادی که در این زمان سخت در تلاش برای ترک سیگار هستند؛ بهروز نگهدارند.
more
Эта Специальная Коллекция включает Кокрейновские обзоры по следующим темам: лекарственное лечение, поведенческая поддержка и постепенный отказ от курения. Вмеша...ельства, имитирующие акт курения, в частности, электронные сигареты, были исключены из этой коллекции, поскольку риски, связанные с их использованием в связи с текущей пандемией, не ясны. Кокрейновская группа по табачной зависимости работает над тем, чтобы вся соответствующая информация была актуальна (обновлена), чтобы обеспечить поддержку людям, пытающимся бросить курить в это трудное время.
more