According to a new research in South India, high air pollution could result in cardiovascular diseases (CVD) such as stroke and heart attack. The study was published in the journal International Journal of Epidemiology.
The study reveals that high exposure to air pollutants leads to higher CIMT index (carotid intima-media thickness), a marker of atherosclerosis, depicting a higher risk of developing cardiovascular diseases such as stroke or heart attack.
How the study was conducted?
The researchers chose a lower-middle-income country like India which faces high levels of air pollution every single year. There were 3,372 participants from a periurban region of Hyderabad, Telangana from South India.
They further applied an algorithm called land-use regression (LUR) which is used to predict the number of fine particles (suspended particles with a diameter under 2.5 µm). This was done in order to establish a relationship between CIMT and estimated exposure to air pollution. The participants were also asked to reveal the type of fuel they use for cooking.
Results drawn from the study:
The results were as expected. The finding showed that the high exposure to fine particulate every year results in a higher CIMT. This particularly targets men, above 40 years or those with cardiometabolic risk factors.
