According to a new study conducted by researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology, Mandi (IIT), exposure to air pollutants is a significant risk factor for heart disease among older Indians. Every year, 17.9 million individuals worldwide die from CVDs, which are the leading cause of mortality.

The study, which was conducted on Indians 45 years of age and older, discovered environmental exposure is also responsible for the onset and development of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). In order to determine the main risk factors for the disease, the researchers collected data from more than 59,000 people aged 45 and older from both rural and urban areas.

Mrs. Ramna Thakur stated that there are several traditional risk factors for CVDs, including high systolic blood pressure, low HDL cholesterol, obesity, unhealthy food, poor nutritional status, age, family history, physical inactivity, smoking, and alcohol consumption. However, exposure to air pollutants is also a significant risk factor.

She explained that the end goal of her team was to group these risk factors into various categories and establish the unique effects of each category on the prevalence of CVD among adults over 45 in India. The Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI), a comprehensive longitudinal poll of 73,396 adults aged 18 and over that included all Indian states and union territories, provided the data used in the study.

The findings of the study showed that behavioral risk factors, such as physical inactivity, can lead to CVDs. It showed that the effects of physiological factors, which include diabetes, high cholesterol, depression, and being overweight or obese, were particularly consequential.

The study suggested that encouraging the use of cleaner technology like liquefied petroleum gas, solar power, electricity, and biogas can reduce levels of air pollution and protect public health. In middle or older age, light to moderate exercise significantly lowers the chance of heart disease and overall mortality. 

(Source: https://theprint.in/health/air-pollution-significantly-adds-to-heart-risk-in-older-indians-finds-iit-study/1484568/ )