Explained: Air pollution in Indian homes key heart risk factor, The Lancet finds

News:A study has been conducted by PURE (Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology) to look at the Cardiovascular Diseases(CVDs) risk factors in middle-aged adults in 21 countries.

Facts:

• The study has found that Cardiovascular Diseases(CVDs) remains the leading cause of mortality among middle aged adults globally accounting for more than 40% of deaths.
• However,the deaths from cardiac disease were three times that of cancer related deaths in countries like India while in high-income countries(HIC) the deaths from cancer was twice that of CVD.
• The study has said that the fact that cancer deaths are now twice as frequent as CVD deaths in HIC indicates a transition in the predominant causes of death in middle age.
• The high cardiovascular disease deaths in countries like India is due to (a)Lower quality of healthcare (b)Lack of insurance (c)Indoor or  Household air pollution (d)Hypertension and (e)other factors include poor diet among others.
• The study has recommended that countries like India need to start investing in preventing and managing non-communicable diseases including cardiovascular disease rather than focusing largely on infectious diseases.

Additional Information:

About Cardiovascular Diseases(CVDs)

• Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a general term for conditions affecting the heart or blood vessels.
• It’s usually associated with a build-up of fatty deposits inside the arteries (atherosclerosis) and an increased risk of blood clots.
• It can also be associated with damage to arteries in organs such as the brain, heart, kidneys and eyes.