Air pollution, the reason for increasing diabetes cases

In a study published in the journal Lancet Planetary Health  confirmed that increasing air pollution has increased the risk of diabetes worldwide. Earlier in 2016 it was found that air pollution contributed to 3.2 million new diabetes cases that was an overall of 14% of the total cases heard. Not only was this, in US, air pollution was linked to 150,000 new cases of diabetes.

As per CNN a professor of medicine at Washington University said, “There’s an undeniable relationship between diabetes and particle air pollution levels well below the current safe standards,” . He also  added, “Many industry lobbying groups argue that current levels are too stringent and should be relaxed. Evidence shows that current levels are still not sufficiently safe and need to be tightened.”

Air pollution particles are made of microscopic pieces of dust, dirt, smoke with liquid droplets. These not only enter the lungs but also can pass into the bloodstream. This causes a chronic inflammatory reaction thought to lead to disease in the body.

Dr. Philip Landrigan, dean for global health at Icahn School of Medicine in New York said, “Ten or 15 years ago, we thought that air pollution caused pneumonia, asthma and bronchitis and not much more than that. But now  know that air pollution is a very important cause of heart disease and stroke and contributes to chronic lung disease, lung cancer and chronic kidney disease.”

It is now reported that over 30 million Americans have diabetes. Obesity, lack of exercise and genetic risk earlier caused it, but also air pollution leads to the same. Pollution is said to cause inflammation and reduce the ability of the pancreas to manage insulin production. It is also said that 3% increase in people suffering from diabetes might loo small but overall an additional 5,000 to 6,000 cases makes it 100,000 people each year which is a drastic one. This research alarms about the increasing air pollution conditions in the world and its diverse affects.

Countries that have fewer resources to create and maintain clean-air policies are at higher risk. Its increasing pollution can increase diabetes-pollution risk with causing other diseases as well. Not only adults but children are also at risk.