A recent World Heart Federation (WHF) report found that outdoor air pollution alone is responsible for at least 1.9 million deaths from heart disease and just under one million from strokes each year, making air pollution the single greatest environmental health risk.
When talking about air pollution and its specific effects on the human heart, the study’s researchers underscore a claim that has been repeated many times over the past few years: that air pollution’s effects on heart disease result in millions of preventable deaths each year.
“Deaths from cardiovascular disease attributable to air pollution have increased over the past decade and are expected to increase further,” the report said.
Long-term exposure to high levels of air pollution has a wide range of harmful effects, including obesity and diabetes, which are exacerbated by the failure of global policies to meet air pollution targets.
Experts from the World Heart Federation said the data came from a single air pollutant and only considered heart disease and stroke, but the figures could be significantly higher as many other cardiovascular diseases are known to be exacerbated by air pollution. Cardiovascular disease is already the world’s leading cause of death, claiming at least 20 million lives each year.
“Air pollution is everywhere and no one can escape it. Both outdoor and indoor pollution drive deaths from cardiovascular disease, which remains the number one killer each year. The effects of air pollution from multiple sources accumulate, widening healthcare disparities for people more vulnerable to pollution and often resulting in poorer outcomes regardless of demographics,” said Mark Miller, University of Edinburgh and chair of the World Health Forum’s Air Pollution and Climate Change Expert Group.
Air pollution comes from many sources, including transportation, industry and wildfires, but the report also details that indoor air pollution poses serious health risks.
For a country like India, this is of great concern as several parts of the country are affected by high levels of air pollution, especially during the beginning of winter. Beyond the visible smoke and smog, tiny, invisible particles can penetrate deep into the lungs, heart and other organs.
A new study published in the Lancet Planetary Health journal earlier this month found that around 33,000 people die every year in 10 major Indian cities (Delhi, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, Pune, Shimla and Varanasi) due to PM2.5 pollution levels that exceed the WHO guideline of 15 micrograms per cubic metre. The national standard for fine particulate matter, or PM2.5 (over a 24-hour period), is 60 micrograms per cubic metre.
The authors recommend raising national standards, realigning the graded response action plan, which focuses primarily on extreme pollution, to focus on year-round actions, and targeting more cities for air pollution measures, as most Indian cities do not meet WHO guidelines.
“In India, short-term exposure to PM2.5 was associated with a higher risk of mortality, even at concentrations well below current Indian PM2.5 standards,” the study concluded.
The adverse effects will only get worse unless governments proactively implement tougher regulations and stricter measures. More importantly, the measures need to be implemented efficiently.
National Editor, Health, Risma Kaur analyses the impact of this week’s most significant news stories in the health sector.
