Porni Banerjee | ২৯ এপ্রিল ২০২৪ ১২ : ২৮

Exposure to air pollution with PM 2.5 particulate matter for a prolonged period can increase the risk of Type-2 diabetes, new research has revealed.

The study by Lancet, a leading medical journal, has found out that increased exposure to PM 2.5 pollutants by almost a year, which are 30 times thinner than a strand of a hair, can elevate blood sugar levels and speed up the risk of the lifestyle disorder by 20 percent.

The source of such fine pollutants are oil, diesel, biomass and gasoline combustion. This study brings India more into focus as it is considered world’s ‘diabetes capital’ owing to its excessive pollution levels.

The study further suggested that the PM 2.5 pollutant is prevalent in urban areas due to larger population and its short-term exposure can increase the risk of insulin resistance by disrupting the autonomic nervous system, which can contribute toward cardiovascular diseases.

Evidence also highlighted that the association between increased pollution levels and diabetes is higher in men from lower socio-economic backgrounds and those with comorbidities, adding that increased PM 2.5 can also cause kidney diseases in people with or without diabetes.

Diabetes is a severe disease that can gradually lead to blindness, kidney failure, heart attacks, stroke and even lower limb amputation if goes untreated or not treated properly.

Concerning India, 77 million people over 18 years have diabetes and nearly 25 million of those are prediabetics, with the burden of diabetes continuing to increase in India since 1990 primarily due to unhealthy lifestyle, excess tobacco consumption and prevalence of obesity.