Wildfire smoke exposure, lung health, and susceptibility/ vulnerability in older adults

Project Summary

Wildfire smoke (WFS) is the leading climate-related risk affecting Canadians’ health and the leading contributor to health-damaging particulate matter air pollution in Canada. With a warming climate, WFS emissions will worsen, with widespread implications for policy and health. There is strong evidence that exposure to WFS leads to acute respiratory effects, but little is known about how exposure affects the development of chronic lung disease. Filling this knowledge gap is critical as Canadians are increasingly exposed to more frequent and intense wildfires. We aim to determine associations between WFS exposure, estimated using model data hosted by the Canadian Urban Environmental Research Consortium, with lung function decline and the incidence of chronic lung diseases and lung cancer in CLSA participants. Additionally, we will investigate the role of genetics and potential modifiable risk factors (e.g. adiposity, physical exercise and diet) in these associations.