Evaluation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Patients for OzoneSensitivity: Validation of Health Advisories

摘要

The authors tested responses to ozone exposure in 9 male volunteers with severe,predominantly emphysemic chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and 10 age-matched healthy male volunteers. The authors hypothesized (1) that older men would respond unfavorably to ozone under simulated 'worst-case' ambient exposure conditions, and (2) that COPD subjects would respond more than healthy subjects. Each subject was exposed once to 0.24 ppm ozone and once to clean air (control), with the studies at lease one week apart and in randomized order. The authors conclude that older men with or without severe COPD experience ozone-related lung dysfunction under 'worst-case' conditions (multi-hour exposures near maximum Southern California ambient concentrations, with frequent exercise), confirming hypothesis (1). The authors cannot confirm hypothesis (2) statistically; that is, with their small samples they cannot demonstrate significant excess ozone response in COPD subjects relative to health subjects.