Ahmedabad: Ambient air pollution is taking a toll on the heart, literally. Researchers have flagged the issue of rising blood pressure due to prolonged exposure to PM2.5 pollution and indicated a direct correlation in the Indian context. Dr Dorairaj Prabhakaran, executive director of the Centre for Chronic Disease Control (CCDC), recently highlighted that they found a rise of up to 3.3 millimetres of mercury (mmHg) in blood pressure due to prolonged exposure to air pollution.
“The life expectancy can be reduced by one and a half years due to prolonged exposure to air pollution,” said Dr Prabhakaran, who was speaking at the Indo-US Conference on the theme ‘Climate Change Impacts on Occupational and Environmental Health’ in the city. He shared findings of the research carried out on air pollution and cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in the past few years.
He told TOI that the very small particles of PM2.5 enter the bloodstream through alveoli and affect the vascular endothelial cells. “It can cause damage to cell linings and arteries, which can also result in stiffness and inflammation. Thus, its long-term effects take a toll on cardiovascular health,” he added.
Studies carried out by him and various groups identified about 10per cent of India’s total area with about 16per cent of the total population having high exposure to PM2.5 pollution. “The elevated blood pressure can cause hypertension, which also leads to health issues such as diabetes. The issue is more acute in cities such as Delhi,” added Dr Prabhakaran.
Some other topics discussed by the experts during the conference included public health emergencies in the face of disasters and climate change; risk, adaptation, and resilience for health and well-being; climate change and respiratory infections; and environmental health surveillance in response to climate change, among others.
