THAT FRESH COUNTRY AIR REALLY DOES MAKE YOU BREATHE BETTER

Living in the country may be good for your respiratory health, according to a study conducted in Scotland, which suggests rural as opposed to urban dwelling is associated with a lower prevalence of asthma. Moreover, while the prevalence of COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) and emphysema, caused primarily by smoking, is similar among country and city dwellers, living in the country appears to be associated with better health status among subjects with these two lung ailments. For their study, Lisa Iversen and colleagues from the University of Aberdeen analyzed responses to a questionnaire by more than 1,000 adults living in rural areas of Scotland and nearly 1,500 living in urban areas. They discovered the prevalence of “any” lung illness was 28% lower among those living in the country, compared with those living in cities. The prevalence of asthma was 41% lower among the rural residents compared with the city dwellers, the investigators report in the medical journal Chest. Reuters