📚 SCD Weekly Practice Update Pulmonary function among children and young adults with sickle cell disease: the potential role of air pollution A retrospective study published in the Journal of Sickle Cell Disease examined whether higher ambient air-pollution concentrations were associated with abnormal pulmonary function in children and young adults with sickle cell disease. 🔍 Study Highlights Researchers analyzed 10 years of data from 65 participants ages 5–19 in Jefferson County, Alabama. Most had HbSS, 84.6% had asthma, and 81.5% were receiving SCD-modifying therapy. 💡 Key findings included: Higher monthly average nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) concentrations were associated with abnormal forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV₁). In unadjusted analyses, each 1 ppb increase in monthly average NO₂ was associated with 53% higher odds of abnormal FEV₁. The adjusted association was not statistically significant. FEV₁ and forced vital capacity were frequently reduced, while obstruction indices were normal in all participants. 💡 Why It Matters Pulmonary complications are an important source of morbidity in SCD. This study provides preliminary evidence that higher monthly average NO₂ concentrations may be associated with abnormal FEV₁ in children and young adults with SCD. The study was small, observational, and limited to a single county. Researchers could not adjust for several potential confounders, including smoking or vaping, secondhand smoke, home conditions, socioeconomic factors, and meteorological conditions. The findings show an association, not causation. No SCD-specific guideline establishes an ambient NO₂ exposure threshold or recommends routine air-pollution monitoring as part of SCD management. These findings support further research rather than a change in clinical practice. 💭 Discussion What additional evidence is needed to clarify the relationship between air pollution and pulmonary function in sickle cell disease? How should future studies evaluate whether reducing air-pollution exposure improves pulmonary outcomes? Share your perspective — your insights can help advance research into environmental factors that may affect pulmonary health in sickle cell disease. Source: Journal of Sickle Cell Disease, Volume 3, Issue 1, 2026 — Kelsey M Maclin, PhD, MS; Charity J Morgan, PhD; Ruzmyn Vilcassim, PhD, MS; Azar Abadi, PhD; Ammar Alishlash, MD; Brandi M Pernell, DNP, MSPH #SickleCellDisease #SCDResearch #PatientCare #SickleCellCare #JournalOfSickleCellDisease  #PulmonaryHealth