Metered-dose inhalers were responsible for nearly all inhaler-related emissions<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter<\/b><\/p>\n
<\/b><\/p>\n
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 4, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Inhaler devices are a substantial source of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States, according to a research letter published online Aug. 29 in the\u00a0Journal of the American Medical Association<\/em>.<\/p>\n Jyothi Tirumalasetty, M.D., from the Stanford University School of Medicine in California, and colleagues assessed mean emissions in 2022 for U.S. brand-name inhalers (metered-dose, dry powder, and soft-mist classes) prescribed to Medicare Part D and Medicaid beneficiaries using inhaler claims and cost data extracted from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) summary and statistics database.<\/p>\n The researchers found that mean estimated emissions per inhaler by device class were 23.1 kg of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2<\/sub>e) for metered-dose inhalers (14 inhalers), 0.79 kg CO2<\/sub>e for dry-powder inhalers (19 inhalers), and 0.78 kg CO2<\/sub>e for soft-mist inhalers (4 inhalers), with 10 kg CO2<\/sub>e equivalent to 41.2 km driven in an average gasoline-powered passenger vehicle. The highest emissions per inhaler were seen for the inhaled corticosteroid, long-acting \u00ce\u00b2-agonist, metered-dose inhaler Dulera (mometasone\/formoterol; 48.1 kg CO2<\/sub>e) versus an analogous inhaled corticosteroid, long-acting \u00ce\u00b2-agonist, dry-powder inhaler Advair Diskus (fluticasone\/salmeterol; 0.898 kg CO2<\/sub>e emissions per inhaler). For short-acting \u00ce\u00b2-agonist medications, Ventolin HFA (albuterol sulfate) had the highest emissions (28.7 kg CO2<\/sub>e per inhaler). Overall, there were 69.8 million CMS inhaler claims in 2022, resulting in an estimated 1.15 million metric tons of CO2<\/sub>e emissions, or the equivalent of 226,960 homes’ yearly electricity use.<\/p>\n “Formulary choices that optimize clinical efficacy, greenhouse gas emissions, and affordability may improve patient outcomes and reduce climate pollution,” the authors write.<\/p>\n Abstract\/Full Text\u00a0(subscription or payment may be required)<\/a><\/p>\n <\/i><\/p>\n