As the air quality in the Delhi-NCR region and Mumbai continues to deteriorate, a recent study has claimed that air pollution can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes. This first-of-a-kind study in India conducted research in Delhi and Chennai.
There is ongoing research into chronic diseases in India which began in 2010. This study is part of that research.
The findings of the research show that inhaling polluted air which consists of high amounts of PM2.5 particles, actually led to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes and high blood sugar levels at the same time.
According to the California Air Resources Board, short-term exposure of PM 2.5 particles has been also associated with premature mortality, increased hospital admissions for heart or lung causes, acute and chronic bronchitis, asthma attacks, emergency room visits, respiratory symptoms, and restricted activity days.
Now, as per the study, the average annual PM2.5 levels in Delhi was 82-100μg/m3 and in Chennai was 30-40μg/m3. At the same time, the national air quality standards of India are 40μg/m3.
Under this around 12000 men and women from Delhi and Chennai were studied from a period of 2010 to 2017. The researchers measured the blood sugar levels of the subjects periodically. Further, to determine the air pollution in the locality of each of the participants of the study, the researchers also used satellite data and air pollution exposure models.
Post the completion of this study, the researchers found that exposure to PM 2.5 particles for a month led to increased levels of blood sugar, however, the exposure for one year led to the risk of diabetes. As per the findings, for every 10μg/m3 increase in annual average PM2.5 level in the two cities, the risk for diabetes increased by 22%.
In a report by The Guardian, Siddhartha Mandal, lead investigator of the study and a researcher at Centre for Chronic Disease Control, Delhi said, ‘Given the pathophysiology of Indians – low BMI with a high proportion of fat – we are more prone to diabetes than the western population’.
Dr V Mohan, chairman of the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation and one of the authors of the paper said, ‘Until now, we had assumed that diet, obesity and physical exercise were some of the factors explaining why urban Indians had higher prevalence of diabetes than rural Indians. This study is an eye-opener because now we have found a new cause for diabetes which is pollution.’