9/11 Responders Develop Asthma At Alarming Rate

First responders and other rescue and recovery workers following the 2001 World Trade Center (WTC) terrorist attacks received significant dust and pollutant exposures and have developed asthma at twice the rate of the US general population according to new research presented at CHEST 2009, the 75th annual international scientific assembly of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP).

According to a press release, as many as 8% of workers and volunteers participating in the rescue, recovery, and cleanup have developed some sort of asthma episode compared to 4% of the general population. Additionally, only 3% of this workers and volunteers reported asthma pre 9/11, while 16% reported having asthma between 2005 and 2007.

"Although previous WTC studies have shown significant respiratory problems, this is the first study to directly quantify the magnitude of asthma among WTC responders compared with the general US population," said Hyun Kim, ScD, Instructor of Preventive Medicine at Mount Sinai School of Medicine (MSSM), in the press release. "Six years out from 9/11, the World Trade Center Program was still observing responders affected by asthma episodes and attacks at more than double the percentage of people not exposed to World Trade Center dust."

Kalpalatha Guntupalli, MD, FCCP, President of the American College of Chest Physicians commented "Asthma and other chronic lung conditions remain a significant burden for rescue and recovery workers responding to the attacks on the World Trade Center. The significant chronic health problems associated with the World Trade Center attacks only reinforces the need for stronger disaster preparedness plans, as well as long-term medical follow-up for 9/11 responders and individuals who respond to disaster-related events."

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