- NEW DELHI — Older
adults are at significant risk of brain stroke due to prolonged exposure to air
pollution, according to a study led by Chinese researchers.
-
- The study showed that elderly males are disproportionately
affected by ischemic stroke related to air pollution. Ischemic stroke is a
condition resulting from reduced blood supply to specific areas of the brain
due to blocked blood vessels. The primary contributor to this burden is PM2.5
from air pollution.
-
- Researchers from the Shandong First Medical University
evaluated the burden of ischemic stroke attributable to air pollution in China
from 1990 to 2021. They also examined gender and age-specific differences and
projected future disease burden trends from 2022 to 2036.
Also read: Sleep well, avoid junk food to keep your liver healthy
-
- The results, published in the journal BMC Public Health,
observed a decline in both age-standardised mortality rates (ASMR) and
age-standardised disability-adjusted life years (DALY) rates for ischemic
stroke attributed to air pollution.
-
- However, the decline was slower among men than women, with a
higher burden observed in elderly males.
-
- “This suggests the need for gender-specific interventions
and policies that target male populations, particularly the elderly, to reduce
their exposure to air pollution and its adverse health effects,” said the
researchers.
-
- Previous studies suggest that both brief and prolonged
exposure to air pollution can heighten the risk of ischemic stroke.
-
- The underlying mechanism may involve environmental PM2.5
exposure contributing to the formation of atherosclerosis, which affects both
small cerebral vessels and large arteries, thereby increasing the risk of
ischemic stroke.
