Bengaluru Cardiologist Highlights the Deadly Impact of Air Pollution on Heart Attacks
As air quality in Delhi-NCR remains at severe levels, experts and doctors are shedding light on the hazardous effects of air pollution on human health. Dr. Deepak Krishnamurthy, a senior interventional cardiologist at Sakra World Hospital in Bengaluru, took to Twitter on Sunday to warn about the increased risk of death due to heart attacks caused by exposure to highly polluted air.
Dr. Krishnamurthy emphasized that air pollution is an important and often overlooked risk factor for cardiovascular events, referring to it as the “invisible killer.” He explained that higher levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in the air lead to endothelial dysfunction, reduced blood flow in the coronary arteries, systemic inflammation, and accelerated atherosclerosis and thrombus formation.
The cardiologist shared a graph illustrating the impact of air pollution on the heart and highlighted that 25% of deaths caused by heart diseases can be attributed to deadly air pollution. He also shared another graph revealing that pollution is responsible for more deaths worldwide than tobacco smoking, road accidents, alcohol abuse, AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis.
Dr. Krishnamurthy urged the government to take concrete measures to combat this menace, especially in cities like Delhi where acute exposure to increased PM2.5 levels is prevalent. He recommended the use of masks when outdoors in high-pollution areas and the installation of air purifiers at home to mitigate the risks.
In addition, Dr. Piyush Ranjan from AIIMS stated that there is scientific evidence establishing a link between air pollution and various types of cancer. He explained that apart from respiratory harm, air pollution is directly associated with coronary artery diseases such as heart attacks, brain strokes, and arthritis.
The air quality in Delhi has remained in the “Severe” category for the fourth consecutive day, with a slight decrease in the Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 410 compared to 504 on Saturday, according to the System of Air Quality Forecasting and Research (SAFAR-India).
Doctors recommend that a healthy person should be exposed to an AQI of less than 50. However, the current AQI in Delhi has spiked beyond 400, posing a fatal risk to individuals with lung-related diseases and even increasing the likelihood of developing lung cancer.
