Environmental pollution is one of the biggest obstacles of underdeveloped and developing countries in the world. A recent study in India has shown that air pollution can increase the risk of diabetes.
The Guardian reported in a report that studies have shown that air pollution can increase the risk of type-2 diabetes. It is a chronic disease that shortens life expectancy by about ten years. The study was conducted over 7 years on 12,000 residents of Delhi and the southern Indian city of Chennai. Research shows that airborne particles of size 2.5 raise blood sugar levels.
According to the World Air Quality Report 2022, Delhi is ranked fourth among the world's most polluted cities with 2.5 levels of particulate matter in the air. Hence the residents of this city are at risk of developing diabetes. Breathing in polluted air can lead to type-2 diabetes.
When air containing 2.5-sized particles (about 30 times thinner than a human hair) is breathed, these particles enter the bloodstream. Which increases the risk of lung and cardiovascular diseases.
The study is part of an ongoing study on chronic diseases in India that began in 2010. And this study is the first to look at the link between air pollution and diabetes. Air in Delhi and Chennai, one of the world's most polluted cities, was chosen for the study.
Delhi's air contains an average of 2.5 magnitude or 82–100 micrograms of particulate matter and Chennai's air contains 30–40 micrograms of particulate matter annually. Which is many times higher than the 5 micrograms prescribed by the World Health Organization.
India has a relatively high prevalence of many non-communicable diseases, including diabetes, hypertension and heart disease. According to a research paper published in the medical journal Lancet in June this year, 11.4 percent of India's population or more than 10 crore people are suffering from diabetes. And more than 13 crore people are pre-diabetic. On the other hand, the average prevalence of diabetes in the European Union in 2019 was 6.2 percent.
A Lancet study also found that India's cities have more diabetes patients than their rural counterparts. The prevalence of diabetes in India is higher than previously estimated.
Another medical study showed that exposure to air with 2.5 levels of particulate matter for one month increased blood sugar levels. And exposure to this air for a year or more increases the risk of diabetes. Even for every 10 microgram increase in the level of an average of 2.5 times per year, the risk of diabetes increased by 22 percent.
Siddharth Mandal, a researcher at Delhi's Center for Chronic Disease Control, said, "Indians are at a higher risk of developing diabetes than Western populations due to their pathophysiology. Air pollution has increased over the last 20 to 30 years with lifestyle changes. And these environmental factors have increased the risk of diabetes.
He said, "Earlier, the incidence of diabetes in urban people is higher than in rural India, which was attributed only to some factors including people's eating habits, obesity and physical exercise. But now this research has changed our thinking.
The 2.5-sized particles in the air include sulfates, nitrates, heavy metals and black carbon. This can damage the lining of the blood vessels which can harden the arteries and increase blood pressure. It also directly attacks the heart muscle and inhibits insulin production as well as its effects. Researchers are now studying the effect of environmental pollution on cholesterol and vitamin D levels in the body.
But scientists hope that reducing pollution could reduce the incidence of diabetes as well as other non-communicable diseases.
Following strong public protests over air pollution in 2016, India's central and Delhi governments have taken several steps. These included a ban on old diesel vehicles, construction of highways bypassing cities and a ban on crop burning. A report later found that between 2016 and 2021, particulate matter of size 2.5 in the air decreased by 22 percent. This reduction is small but promising.
You must be logged in to post a comment.