Breathing polluted air not only causes respiratory diseases, but can also make the body a victim of other serious diseases. According to a new scientific study, if a person breathes polluted air for a long time, his chances of developing 'type-2 diabetes' increases significantly. A research conducted in South Korea has also revealed the surprising reasons behind this.
According to a study published in 'Journal of Hazardous Materials' by Jeonbuk National University of South Korea, researchers exposed diabetic and healthy rats to synthetic PM 2.5 (airway particulate matter). In this experiment it was found that polluted air and diabetes combined weakened the stem cells of the body's bone marrow. Bone marrow is a part of the body that works to make blood and repair body tissues. In rats suffering from diabetes, due to pollution, these stem cells started aging rapidly and stopped functioning properly. A Soja related 'switch' present in the lungs was found to be responsible for this loss.
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Why is this report worrying for India?
This study is very important in the context of India because both pollution and diabetes are big problems in India. Already more than 10 crore people in the country are suffering from diabetes, and with the onset of winter, 'smog' filled with polluted particles has started accumulating in the cities of North India. This international study has been led by experts from India, in which an 'umbrella review' has been prepared by combining the findings of 13 previous research conducted on more than 20 crore people around the world. This important research has been published on 27 October in the named journal related to Vascular Disease.
Research has revealed that the greater the increase in PM 2.5 particles in the air, the greater will be the risk of developing type-2 diabetes. These threats are not limited to just one country, but are seen equally in both Asia and Western countries. Whenever the amount of micro pollution in the air increases even slightly (10 units), the risk of type-2 diabetes in people increases by 10% to 16%. Due to this severe pollution, the fasting blood sugar level of people also increases and the number of deaths due to diabetes also increases.