Traffic controls put in place during the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta may have reduced the number of doctor visits and hospital admissions due to asthma attacks, researchers have found.

``Our study is an important building block toward healthier communities,'' said lead study author Dr. Michael Friedman of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. ''People who are looking for ways to help our children with asthma and improve our communities' overall health should view this study with optimism.''

Previous studies have suggested a link between the level of air pollution and the number of asthma attacks, but no study has examined the impact of reduced traffic and ozone levels on asthma attacks, according to the team of researchers led by Friedman.

The authors took advantage of traffic controls put in place during the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta to measure the association between air pollution levels and asthma-related medical visits.