As winter approaches and smog becomes a concern, a study published in The Lancet has sounded alarm that fine ambient particles like PM2.5 in the environment can directly damage arterial cells, the risk of subarachnoid hemorrhage, a serious type of brain stroke. surpassing the impact of smoking
The research, led by an international team from India, the US, New Zealand, Brazil, highlighted how PM air pollution was responsible for the loss of 2.6 million healthy life years due to subarachnoid hemorrhage in 2021, surpassing the impact of smoking.
It has called for urgent need for public health measures to improve air quality and protect vulnerable populations like kids, elders and those with co-morbidities.
The authors said that air pollution contributed to 14% of deaths and disabilities caused by this severe stroke subtype, the same level as smoking.
Data speaks: As pollution has been on rise, in 2021, 11.9 million people experienced new strokes—an increase of 70% since 1990—while stroke-related deaths reached 7.3 million, a 44% rise since 1990.
The study has identified 23 modifiable risk factors responsible for 84% of the global stroke burden in 2021. The top five were high systolic blood pressure, particulate matter air pollution, smoking, high LDL cholesterol, and household air pollution. Despite significant efforts to reduce these risk factors, more work is needed to mitigate the damage caused by environmental pollutants and unhealthy lifestyles, said the study.
Dr Catherine O Johnson, co-author and lead research scientist at the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), emphasised on the urgent need for climate actions and air pollution reduction strategies, particularly as air pollution is intricately linked to climate change.
The findings, based on the Global Burden of Disease Study, revealed that more than three-quarters of those affected by strokes live in low- and middle-income countries.
Professor Valery Feigin from Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand, explained that fine particles like PM2.5 can directly damage arterial cells, increasing the risk of ruptures.
Prof. Kalpana Balakrishnan from Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research, Chennai, and Dr. K. Srinath Reddy from the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) echoed these concerns.
“Masking is not a solution because it is impossible to reduce exposure for large populations with them. Emission reductions at source and use of cleaner technologies are proven ways. We just need to allocate sufficient resources to make green development possible,” Prof Balakrishnan said.
According to Dr Reddy, well-ventilated indoor spaces and an outdoor environment with good airflow and greenery reduce pollution-related complications.
