Seasonal and regional short-term effects of fine particles on hospital admissions in 202 US counties, 1999-2005.

ABSTRACT: The authors investigated whether short-term effects of fine particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter < or =2.5 microm (PM(2.5)) on risk of cardiovascular and respiratory hospitalizations among the elderly varied by region and season in 202 US counties for 1999-2005. They fit 3 types of time-series models to provide evidence for 1) consistent particulate matter effects across the year, 2) different particulate matter effects by season, and 3) smoothly varying particulate matter effects throughout the year. The authors found statistically significant evidence of seasonal and regional variation in estimates of particulate matter effect. Respiratory disease effect estimates were highest in winter, with a 1.05% (95% posterior interval: 0.29, 1.82) increase in hospitalizations per 10-micr

SUBMITTER: Bell ML 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2732959 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature