Grant: Project Grant

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a lung condition that affects over 2 million Canadians. The disease limits airflow in the lungs, leading to symptoms like shortness of breath and cough. The disease is also characterized by flare-ups, called exacerbations, that are a serious health risk to patients and place a large burden on the Canadian health care system. Some research studies have shown air pollution can worsen COPD by increasing the risk of an exacerbation. Unfortunately, air pollution is worsening in Canada, driven by wildfire smoke and climate change. The worsening air quality poses a threat to the health of patients with COPD. Air cleaners, portable machines for improving indoor air quality, are one potential solution that shows promise. However, there are still many unknowns, such as whether the effect of air pollution on COPD is the same across Canada, or whether it would be good value for money for public health agencies to provide air cleaners to patients with COPD. Our project seeks to answer these questions by conducting a multi-province research study to evaluate how air pollution affects COPD exacerbations, and conducting an economic analysis to see if air cleaners provide good value to the health care system. By completing this research study, we will create important new knowledge about air pollution, COPD, and air cleaners. As air quality worsens in a changing climate, our study findings will be useful to patients, providers, scientists, and policy-makers seeking to protect the health of all Canadians.