Air Pollution As Harmful To Brain Health As Smoking

The number of people worldwide experiencing strokes has risen by 70% since 1990, and stroke-related deaths have increased by 44%. Urgent climate action is needed: The link between air pollution, climate change, and stroke highlights the importance of urgent measures to reduce air pollution and address climate change

New Delhi: For the first time, a study on Thursday showed that ambient particulate matter air pollution is a top risk factor for subarachnoid haemorrhage -- a type of brain stroke -- at par with smoking.

The study, led by an international team of researchers from India, the US, New Zealand, Brazil, and UAE showed that air pollution contributed to 14 per cent of the death and disability caused by this serious stroke subtype, on par with smoking.

The study showed that coupled with air pollution, high temperatures as well as metabolic disorders, fuelled a significant rise in global cases and deaths due to stroke in the last three decades.

The number of people worldwide having a new stroke rose to 11.9 million in 2021 -- up by 70 per cent since 1990. Stroke-related deaths rose to 7.3 million -- up by 44 per cent since 1990.

The study identified 23 modifiable risk factors responsible for 84 per cent of the stroke burden in 2021. In 2021, the five leading global risk factors for stroke were high systolic blood pressure, particulate matter air pollution, smoking, high LDL cholesterol, and household air pollution, with considerable variation by age, sex, and location.

It also showed substantial progress made in reducing the global stroke burden by reducing particulate matter air pollution (20 per cent), and smoking (13 per cent).