According to a study conducted by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Mandi, environmental exposure is a major contributor to the development and advancement of cardiovascular diseases in adults residing in India. The study analyzed data from more than 60,000 individuals aged 45 years and above, residing in urban and rural areas of the country. The research findings indicate that older adults in India are susceptible to physiological risks, which are then followed by genetic, indoor environmental, and behavioral risk factors. This statement was made on Thursday.
Ramna Thakur, an Associate Professor at the School of Humanities and Social Sciences in IIT Mandi, stated that a significant portion of India’s population lives in rural areas and utilizes unclean fuel for various purposes, which results in their exposure to hazardous smoke produced during the burning process.
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According to Thakur and her team of scholars who conducted the study, secondhand smoke exposure, also known as passive smoking, is considered to have similar cardiovascular effects and risks as active smoking. The study also pinpointed behavioral risk factors, such as physical inactivity, as leading causes of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). The research team analyzed data from the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI), which is a nationally representative longitudinal survey.
Thakur explained the rationale behind the research and stated that various conventional risk factors contribute to cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). These include high systolic blood pressure, low HDL cholesterol, obesity, unhealthy diet, inadequate nutritional status, age, family history, physical inactivity, smoking, and alcohol consumption. Furthermore, exposure to air pollutants is also a significant risk factor for CVDs, as per her statement.