Researchers conducting a study in a periurban area in southern india have found that air pollution in the country is associated with higher risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). The study shows that people most exposed to fine particles have a higher CIMT index (carotid intima-media thickness) a marker of atherosclerosis which means they are at higher risk of developing cardiovascular diseases such as stroke or heart attack.
Reportedly "Our findings highlight the need to perform more studies on air pollution in low- and middle-income countries, since the conclusions may differ considerably from studies in high income countries due to differences in population characteristics and air pollution levels and sources". It was published in the journal international Journal of Epidemiology.
Previous studies indicate that inflammation and atherosclerosis are most likely responsible for the association between long-term exposure to air pollution and cardiovascular disease and mortality. For the findings, the research team picked india, a lower middle income country with high levels of air pollution. The study was performed with 3,372 participants from a periurban region of hyderabad, telangana, in southern India.
