Environmental health perspectives
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Environ. Health Perspect. · Sep 2020
ReviewMethodological Considerations for Epidemiological Studies of Air Pollution and the SARS and COVID-19 Coronavirus Outbreaks.
Studies have reported that ambient air pollution is associated with an increased risk of developing or dying from coronavirus-2 (COVID-19). Methodological approaches to investigate the health impacts of air pollution on epidemics should differ from those used for chronic diseases, but the methods used in these studies have not been appraised critically. ⋯ Studies of air pollution and novel coronaviruses have relied mainly on ecological measures of exposures and outcomes and are susceptible to important sources of bias. Although longitudinal studies with individual-level data may be imperfect, they are needed to adequately address this topic. The complexities involved in these types of studies underscore the need for careful design and for peer review. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP7411.
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Environ. Health Perspect. · Jun 2015
Review Meta AnalysisNatural-cause mortality and long-term exposure to particle components: an analysis of 19 European cohorts within the multi-center ESCAPE project.
Studies have shown associations between mortality and long-term exposure to particulate matter air pollution. Few cohort studies have estimated the effects of the elemental composition of particulate matter on mortality. ⋯ Long-term exposure to PM2.5 sulfur was associated with natural-cause mortality. This association was robust to adjustment for other pollutants and PM2.5.
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Environ. Health Perspect. · Nov 2014
ReviewEvaluating potential response-modifying factors for associations between ozone and health outcomes: a weight-of-evidence approach.
Epidemiologic and experimental studies have reported a variety of health effects in response to ozone (O3) exposure, and some have indicated that certain populations may be at increased or decreased risk of O3-related health effects. ⋯ Using a weight-of-evidence approach, we identified a diverse group of factors that should be considered when characterizing the overall risk of health effects associated with exposures to ambient O3.
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Environ. Health Perspect. · Nov 2013
ReviewResearch on the premotor symptoms of Parkinson's disease: clinical and etiological implications.
The etiology and natural history of Parkinson's disease (PD) are not well understood. Some non-motor symptoms such as hyposmia, rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder, and constipation may develop during the prodromal stage of PD and precede PD diagnosis by years. ⋯ This is an emerging research area with important data gaps to be filled. Future research is needed to understand the prevalence of multiple premotor symptoms and their etiological relevance to PD. Animal experiments and mechanistic studies will further understanding of the biology of these premotor symptoms and test novel etiological hypothesis.
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Environ. Health Perspect. · Sep 2013
ReviewInstruments for assessing risk of bias and other methodological criteria of published animal studies: a systematic review.
Results from animal toxicology studies are critical to evaluating the potential harm from exposure to environmental chemicals or the safety of drugs prior to human testing. However, there is significant debate about how to evaluate the methodology and potential biases of the animal studies. There is no agreed-upon approach, and a systematic evaluation of current best practices is lacking. ⋯ Our review highlights a number of risk of bias assessment criteria that have been empirically tested for animal research, including randomization, concealment of allocation, blinding, and accounting for all animals. In addition, there is a need for empirically testing additional methodological criteria and assessing the validity and reliability of a standard risk of bias assessment instrument.