HYDERABAD: According to a study recently conducted by the Intermountain Medical Centre Heart Institute of Utah in Collaboration with the Brigham Young University, air pollution is particularly detrimental to the cardiac health of people with the blood groups A, B, or AB.
People with O blood groups are at a significantly lower risk of developing heart disease due to pollution.
Dr Ashwin Tumkur, a senior cardiologist, says, “The genetic makeup of the heart differs with the blood group. Indians are three times more prone to heart attacks than Americans. This genetic tendency combined with our lifestyle poses an increased risk. Air pollution is a matter of grave concern that many states are dealing with. We should realise that our genetic makeup is not suited for high levels of pollution.”
The study says that these findings should not cause panic. Among the patients who participated in the study, those who suffered from heart attacks already had a history of other coronary problems. The study was conducted over a period of fourteen years.
25 microgram per cubic metre was taken to be the baseline pollution level, and it was found that every additional 10 micrograms increased the risk of heart disease.
It was found that though particulate matter (PM) 2.5 levels touched 100 in the winter, readings were typically in the 50 to 60 range. The risk of heart disease increased when PM 2.5 levels were greater than 25. The average air quality in Hyderabad, as reported by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) was 85 on Monday, which is considered to be satisfactory. PM 2.5 levels across the city usually vary between 60 and 80. Pollution levels are likely to increase in the upcoming winter.
Dr Rajesh Nair, a cardiologist, says, “When one inhales too much particulate matter, minute particles enter the lungs and make it difficult to breathe. These particles may contain poisonous gases that can affect the heart or cause high blood pressure and lead to coronary problems.”
Dr M.S.S. Mukharjee, a senior cardiologist, says, “There may be certain genes that show an inclination towards the development of a disease. There may be a variation in the ABO gene that could cause an inclination towards heart disease. “But the study just forms an association; we need to find a causative link. There are more people with O blood as opposed to other blood groups, and yet those with the other blood groups have been found to be affected more. This needs to be studied further.”
