Air Pollution and Diabetes
Have you ever wondered once that Air Pollution can be a reason for Diabetes? It may seem like a grey dream, but the latest researches have proven that it is in reality and it’s the irony of nature in lieu of our devastating contribution towards the environment. We all are aware of the fact that lack of exercise, poor diet-plan, and genetics may contribute to Type 2 Diabetes, but now there is one more addition to this list and that’s air pollution.
It’s not a myth as studies also prove the reality
The World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that a person living a healthy lifestyle has been diagnosed with diabetes due to poor air quality and air pollution. Isn’t it dreadful? Our air intake can make us suffer from diabetes. It’s time to rethink what we are doing to reduce air pollution. Time is running and air quality is degrading day by day, we must think beyond our orthodox efforts for improving the air quality. Candle-Marches and emotional messages for the environment on some special days of the year will not help the cause. The change should be in the actions that will lead us towards reduced air pollution.
Why Diabetes Specifically?
Just like other reasons responsible for having Diabetes in the Human Body, the current level of Air-pollution is providing the ideal scenario for Diabetes to get spread among people through air-intake. It may feel like a science-fiction movie, but the bitter truth is…it is happening in reality.
My social observations and spiritual understanding have started showcasing their presence in reality. As few articles drew my attention stating that Air-pollution is gradually becoming the new reason for Diabetes. As per the article “Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, MO in collaboration with the Veterans Affairs St. Louis Health Care System in Missouri found a strong link between air pollution and diabetes”. It also shows the worrisome fact that 1 out of 7 people were found to get diabetes because of air pollution. The study is considered to be significant because it quantifies the burden of air pollution and diabetes. In 2016, 3.2 million new diabetes cases which are 14% of the total diabetes cases were reported because of air pollution.
Incidence of diabetes has increased by 64% in the past 24 years, according to reports of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
The new study linking PM2.5 to diabetes was grounded on tracking 1.7 million veterans with no prior history of diabetes for 8.5 years. The range of PM2.5 they were exposed to from all sources including firsthand and secondhand smoking ranged from 5 to 22 micrograms per cubic meter of ambient air.
Diabetes risk was found to increase significantly beyond 10 micrograms per cubic meter of air and plateaued at 22 micrograms. The recommended safe level is 10 micrograms. Based on the relation thus derived between PM2.5 and the burden of disease for diabetes, the study has calculated the burden for India.
How polluted air intake is responsible for Diabetes?
These particles are so small and geared with toxic metals. Due to their small size, they can easily enter the bloodstream by penetrating the lungs. They may cause inflammation by circulating to different organs. The inflammation prepares the ground for increasing insulin resistance. Ultimately, such resistance becomes stern and the pancreas finds it hard to pump out sufficient insulin to balance, give Diabetes a chance to set in.
Somewhere inside we know that we are responsible for this natural dilemma. Our lifestyle and our business methods both require refinement. We always talk about making the environment sustainable, but the fact is, such sustainability can be achieved by including sustainable solutions and work-ethics in our social life and business proceedings.
