Researchers at the Benaroya Research Institute and colleagues have published findings today in The Lancet Planetary Health concluding that in the absence of viral infection, elevated air quality index values are associated with asthma exacerbations and lowered lung function in children living in low-income urban neighborhoods.

“Until now, the mechanism for how air pollution exacerbates asthma has been poorly understood,” said Matt Altman, MD, MPhil, BRI principal investigator and lead author on the manuscript. “Our findings identify associations between specific air pollutant exposures and airway inflammatory patterns that are present in non-viral asthma exacerbations, contributing to asthma disparities in children living in urban settings.”

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