Principal Investigator: Dr. Christopher Carlsten
We are recruiting healthy non-smokers and ex-smokers for a study investigating the health effects of traffic related air pollution in those at risk for COPD.
Requirements:
- 40-75 years of age
- Free of cardiovascular disease
- Free of insulin-dependent diabetes
If you meet the study requirements, you will be asked to visit our labs at Vancouver General Hospital and St. Paul’s Hospital five times for a total time commitment of about 30 hours. The entire study will take at least 5 weeks.
Testing procedures include:
- Two 2-hour exposure to diesel exhaust and to filtered air in a specially ventilated room. The pollution will be no more than those similar to levels experienced in Mexico City or Beijing on a smoggy day.
- Bronchoscopy 24 hours after each exposure. Bronchoscopy is a procedure where a thin, flexible tube in passed down your throat and into your lungs.
- Collection of blood &bronchial lavage samples
- Standard lung function testing
- Health & symptom questionnaires
- Completing exercise tests, 1 incremental, 2 steady state
Volunteers will be appropriately compensated for their time.
If interested please call 604-806-8931 or email Ale@providencehealth.bc.ca