Key TakeawaysResearchers found that those who were first at the scene on 9/11 are more likely to develop lung conditions than the people who arrived days later.Many of these conditions, including COPD, take years to develop.Studying the long-term health effects after 9/11 may help treat or prevent health problems from future disasters.

Key Takeaways

Researchers found that those who were first at the scene on 9/11 are more likely to develop lung conditions than the people who arrived days later.Many of these conditions, including COPD, take years to develop.Studying the long-term health effects after 9/11 may help treat or prevent health problems from future disasters.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of September 11, 2001. The physical and emotional effects have lingered for many of the people who were at ground zero on the day of the attacks as well as those who arrived at the site in the days of search, rescue, and cleanup that followed.

Researchers are still trying to identify the long-term health consequences of being at the World Trade Center (WTC) during those first few days. The police, firefighters, emergency personnel, volunteers, and people who worked or lived at the scene, were all exposed to intense smoke, thick dust, and chemical fumes that were released when the Twin Towers and other buildings collapsed.

Conditions were at their worst during the first 48 hours after the attack. Now, new data shows that the people who were there during that time might be experiencing the most severe health consequences 20 years later.

The research was presentedon September 7 at the ERS International Congress.

Who Are First Responders?

High Risk for COPD

The study looked at data from nearly 18,000 people who are part of the World Trade Center Health Program, which provides medical monitoring and treatment of WTC-related health conditions for 9/11 responders and survivors.

The researchers found that:

The incidence of COPD is 30% higher in the people who had arrived at the World Trade Center within 48 hours of the attack compared to the people who got there after.

What Is COPD?

The researchers also noted that the findings were independent of otherCOPD risk factorsthat the participants might have had, such as smoking, age, or obesity.

Preparing for Future Disasters

“More than 90% of my work has been related to the World Trade Center since 2003,” de la Hoz says, who has been evaluating the health of the people in the study since 2012 and has been diagnosing and treating former World Trade Center workers and volunteers for many years. “Besides treatment options, we seek means to prevent any further lung function loss and improve their health.”

How Is COPD Diagnosed?

Studying the long-term health consequences of being a first responder at the World Trade Center might help us figure out the best treatments and preventive care for the emergency workers who will be first on the scene of afuture disaster.

According to de la Hoz, the research is valuable because “few groups like these workers have had the benefit of a longitudinal program to examine the adverse health effects that may or may not be related to their exposures and suggest preventive measures and treatment protocols that can be used in the future."

1 SourceVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Basics About COPD.

1 Source

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Basics About COPD.

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Basics About COPD.

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