EXAMINING ACUTE HEALTH OUTCOMES DUE TO OZONE EXPOSURE AND THEIR SUBSEQUENT RELATIONSHIP TO CHRONIC DISEASE OUTCOMES

Current evidence indicates that individuals exposed to short term elev ations in ambient ozone may experience both upper and lower respirator y effects. Some respiratory symptoms and spirometric changes are mild and reversible in nature, while others involve more severe outcomes, i ncluding hospital admissions and emergency room visits. However, many questions remain about the effects of acute ozone exposure and the imp lications of this exposure for chronic disease outcomes. For example, the identification of sensitive subgroups, the delineation of the enti re spectrum of health effects due to exposure to ozone, the potential synergy between viral infections and ozone exposure, and the nature of adaptation to ozone are not well characterized. In addition, studies that examine the association between acute responses to ozone and pote ntial biological indicators of a chronic disease process would be desi rable. This paper serves to provide an overview of the types of epidem iologic studies that may be appropriate and factors to consider in add ressing these questions.