Air pollution causes appendicitis referred

Current air pollution is associated with respiratory disease and cardiovascular disease. Recently, the researchers say that the dirty air you breathe can also cause appendicitis. This new study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal October 5, 2009 found that cases of appendicitis increases when the quality of dirtier air.

Dr. G. Gilaad Kaplan, senior author of the study and assistant professor of medicine division gastroenterologist at the University of Calgary in Alberta says that it makes us think about the causes of appendicitis which may be associated with air pollution. Air pollution is a risk factor that can be modified. If this finding is confirmed and we are able to enact unddang to mengendalian better air pollution, cleaner air, then we can probably prevent more cases of appendicitis. Other experts warn that at this early point in this study, the effect is not so clear.

Dr F. Paul Buckley III, assistant professor of surgery at Texas A & M Health Science Center College of Medicine and a surgeon at Scott & White Healthcare Round Rock, Texas said that this provocative, but there's a big difference between linking a number of factors with the disease and prove that These factors may cause the disease, and this study failed to show cause and effect. Buckey doubt pollution reduction will reduce the incidence of appendicitis. No one really knows why appendicitis or inflammation of the appendix and the infection occurs.

Appendicitis cases rose significantly in the late 19th century and early 20th century, when industrialization in control. Case dropped in the middle and later part of last century, when the law enforced clean air. Meanwhile, according to study authors, the countries that recently experienced an increase in the level of industrialization conditions.

A prevailing theory is that the appendix occurs when the opening to the appendix, an organ such as a bag attached to the large intestine, was blocked. Specifically, some experts believe that fiber intake is lower among citizens of industrialized countries resulted in obstruction of the appendix by feces.


But that does not explain the incidence of appendicitis decreased in the second half of the 20th century, says Kaplan. Air pollution is linked to various health conditions, especially respiratory disease and heart disease, including heart attack and stroke.

Kaplan and his colleagues studied more than 5000 adults treated in hospital in Calgary with appendicitis between 1 April 1999 until the end of 2006. This data is cross referenced with the analysis of air pollutants in the week before hospitalization.

Kaplan said that they found individuals are more likely to come with appendicitis in the week with higher concentrations of air pollution, particularly ozone and nitrogen dioxide.

More cases of appendicitis occur during the warmest months in Canada (April to September, when people are more likely outside the home), and men seemed more affected by air pollution than women. It is not clear why there is this gender difference, the researchers said.



Kaplan theorized that inflammation may explain the link, if proven to exist, between air quality and appendicitis. "This is still speculative, but air pollution may trigger inflammatory appendicitis," he said. "We have a few more steps before we can make that statement. We need to confirm and repeat these findings." Kaplan and co-author of the study planned in various cities in Canada.

Last year, Forbes magazine rated as Calgary the cleanest city of the world and Baku, Azerbaijan, as the dirtiest.