Preventing respiratory diseases requires a paradigm shift capable of bridging the gap between environment, lifestyle, and clinical care. This was the central message that emerged in Rome on September 29 during the press conference announcing the 27th National Congress of the Italian Society of Pulmonology (SIP/IRS), scheduled in the capital from October 3 to 5.
As emphasized by the SIP president and Congress chair, Paola Rogliani, prevention and therapy are not separate dimensions, but are integrated within the same health journey. The current understanding of pathogenic mechanisms underscores the need to act early on risk factors and to tailor interventions, pairing precision medicine and biologic therapies with the promotion of healthy lifestyles and environmental protection.
One Health Approach and the Impact of Environmental Determinants
Strengthening the holistic, integrated approach is the One Health model, which holds that human health is inextricably linked to the health of ecosystems and the urban context. Data released by ISPRA show that although average PM2.5 levels in 2025 were 14% lower than a decade earlier, projections toward the new European limits by 2030 would place 65% of monitoring stations above the allowed thresholds. A similar story for nitrogen dioxide, for which the future annual limit would be exceeded at 29% of stations.
ISPRA president Maria Alessandra Gallone recalled that pollutant exposure directly affects the clinical picture, exacerbating conditions such as asthma and compromising lung function. Integrating health data with environmental data is therefore a crucial step to transform scientific knowledge into primary prevention and epidemiological interventions.
Urban Spaces, Movement, and Continuity of Care
The integrated approach finds further application in everyday life and in promoting health within cities (Urban Health). Rome’s acting Deputy General Director Pierpaola D’Alessandro underscored the importance of making the city a resilient health environment, while the director of the Sport Impact Area at Sport e Salute, Rossana Ciuffetti, stressed the role of movement as a preventive measure, highlighting the value of physical activity that is accessible to people of different ages and conditions.
More broadly, the accessibility of green spaces, urban sustainability, and the ability to engage in accessible physical activity were defined as true determinants of respiratory health. Indeed, physical activity and the quality of indoor and outdoor environments work in synergy with pharmacological treatments, boosting patient resilience.
The congress proceedings will develop these aspects further through the presentation of the ministerial Technical Table on respiratory health and the SIP/IRS-SIAAIC joint document on respiratory health, environment, climate change, pollution, and pollen, underscoring the importance of a multidisciplinary and systemic perspective in medicine.
Abbonati a Karla Miller
