Although it was earlier believed that pollution only increased the risk of heart problems, it also possesses the capability to damage inner linings of veins and arteries.
"In the current scenario, the situation is getting worse. Many young patients in the 30-40 age group suffer from stroke. We get around 2-3 patients almost every month. The number of young stroke patients has almost doubled as compared to last few years. Studies suggest major risk factors include soaring air pollution," said Praveen Gupta, Director Neurology, Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurugram.
Research bodies estimate that the number of fragments of dead cells in the bloodstream increased with higher levels of pollution. Polluted environment promote stroke incidences more pervasively and at an earlier stage than previously thought.
Nearly 15 million people annually suffer a stroke worldwide, of which around six million die and five million are left with permanent disabilities such as loss of sight and speech, paralysis and confusion.
On the occasion of World Stroke Day, October 29, the experts emphasised that indoor air pollution caused by combustion of solid fuels is equally contributing to the stroke burden in the society.
On an average, the internal air pollution in Indian rural homes exceeds the World Health Organisation (WHO) norms by 20 times.
"Women inhaling the household fumes are at a 40 per cent higher risk of getting a stroke. The reason being the carbon monoxide and particulate matter from burning solid fuels tend to reduce the levels of HDL (high density lipoprotein). This in turn prevents the removal of LDL (low density lipoprotein) from the body leading to hardening of the arteries," said Jaideep Bansal, head neurologist at Saroj Super Speciality Hospital.
He added that the rise in the levels of LDL, or harmful fat, thereby raises the risk of a clot, blocking blood supply to the brain and causing stroke.
More than 90 per cent of the global stroke burden is linked to modifiable risk factors, of which internal air pollution tops the list. Other preventable factors include hypertension, a diet low in fresh fruits and whole grain, outdoor air pollution, high BMI and smoking.
The WHO states that 4.3 million people a year in India die from the exposure to household air pollution, which is among the highest in the world.
According to surveys, over 30 crore people in India use the traditional stoves or open fires to cook or heat their homes with solid fuels (coal, wood, charcoal, crop waste).
Poor ventilation and such inefficient practices, especially in rural India, mean the smoke and ambient air in households exceeds the acceptable levels of fine particles by at least 100-fold.
According to neurologists, recognisable symptoms, known often as a 'mini stroke' will occur prior to getting a stroke attack which is often known as a mini-stroke.
"Though it lasts only for a minute but certainly indicates the onset of a major stroke attack within 48-72 hours. Delay in treatment can lead to loss of 2 million neurons each minute. This happens due to the fact that the blood flow to certain part of the brain is blocked by the clot formed due to inhalation of compound like carbon monoxide and particulate matter," said Atul Prasad, Director and Senior Neurology Consultant at BLK Super Specialty Hospital.
"Diabetes can cause infertility in both men and women. Both sexes are at equal risk of infertility," S.K. Wangnoo, endocrinologist at Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, told IANS.
Infertility affects up to 15 per cent of reproductive-aged couples worldwide. According to an estimate by the World Health Organization (WHO), the overall prevalence of primary infertility in India is between 3.9 per cent to 16.8 per cent.
"Diabetes in men damages DNA of the sperm and leads to reduced number of sperms and reduced motility of sperms which leads to infertility. Although having diabetes does not necessarily make men infertile, it could make them less fertile," added Roopak Wadhwa, Consultant at Fortis Hospital, New Delhi.
On the other hand, diabetes in women is associated with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and other autoimmune diseases that can lead to infertility.
"Diabetes causes a lack of glucose control in the body which, in turn, can make the implantation of the fertile egg in the uterus difficult. Therefore, the chances of miscarriage in diabetic women increase between 30-60 per cent," Wadhwa explained.
Another WHO report had stated that India had 69.2 million people living with diabetes in 2015.
By 2030, nearly 98 million people in India may have Type-2 diabetes, according to a study published in the Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology journal last year.
While diabetic patients can always try parenthood, the risk of passing on the sugar disease to the child is approximately 50 per cent high, Wangnoo stated.
"It can also cause intra-uterine growth retardation (IUGR) and congenital anomalies. IUGR is a condition where an unborn baby is smaller than it should be because it is not growing at a normal rate inside the womb," Wadhwa added.
Furthermore, he noted that diabetic mothers are at high risk of premature deliveries, abortions and perinatal (during birth) complications.
High diabetes can be risky for both mother and child. The experts suggest that maintaining a good lifestyle, an ideal body weight, keeping sugars within target range, avoiding smoking and alcohol and excessive work related stress are some of the preventive measures.
Besides infertility, diabetes can also raise the risk of cardiovascular and lung disease, arthritis, osteoporosis. An estimated 3.4 million deaths are caused due to high blood sugar, according to the WHO.
The global health body also estimates that 80 per cent of diabetes deaths occur in low and middle-income countries and projects that such deaths will double between 2016 and 2030.
The findings, published in the journal Human Reproduction, showed that infertile women had an overall 18 per cent higher risk of developing cancer compared to women who were not infertile.
However, the absolute risk is very low at just two per cent compared to 1.7 per cent among women who are not infertile, found researchers at Stanford University in the US.
"We do not know the causes of the increase in cancer that we found in this study, whether it might be the infertility itself, the causes of the infertility, or the infertility treatment," said lead author Gayathree Murugappan.
"We can only show there is an association between them," she added.
For the study, the team analysed data from 64,345 infertile women who were followed for nearly four years.
Although breast cancer was the most common in both fertile and infertile women, the team found a slightly higher risk of hormone-driven cancers of the ovary and uterus among the infertile women.
They also found a slightly higher risk of cancers of the lung, thyroid, liver and gallbladder and leukaemia among the infertile women.
"While several of these associations were significant, it is important to note that the absolute increases in risk were modest," said Murugappan.
"The low overall incidence of cancer among these women means that one in 49 infertile women would develop cancer during the follow-up period compared to one in 59 women who were not infertile," said Michael Eisenberg, Associate Professor at the varsity.
Further research needs to be carried out to determine what factors may be influencing the long-term risk of cancer for infertile women, Eisenberg noted.
As a latest addition in the long list of adulteration items, more than one quintal of synthetic paneer was recovered from a bus during a raid at OMP Chhak by a joint team of Commissionerate Police and food inspecting officials of Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) today.
According to experts, synthetic paneer which is processed by harmful chemicals can adversely affect liver and kidney. "Consumption of the synthetic paneer will lead to vomiting, stomach upset and diarrhoea. So, eating such product is highly harmful for humans," said Doctor Dhirendranath Maharana.
CMC health officer Satyabrata Mohapatra, who was part of the joint team that seized the huge cache of synthetic paneer, said, "Though the diary product looks fresh, there are more than seven chemicals used in its production. Detergent used for washing clothes, white flour, urea, glycerine, sulphuric acid and spoiled milk are among other ingredients used in the product. It is difficult for consumers to identity the fake product as it looks like paneer."
According to sources, such artificially prepared paneer is transported to Cuttack from Kolkata in buses during night and sold to the customers in the morning.
Meanwhile, milk traders of the city welcomed the crackdown, but alleged that more such spurious products are entering the markets in the city every day.
"The seizure is just a tip of the iceberg. Every day more than 10 tonnes of product reach the city. Though the passenger buses do not have permission to ferry products, it is a matter of shock as to how such stuff are being transported. We want to question what is the transport department doing. In fact, we have written to the CMC numerous times in the last 10 years seeking action against unscrupulous milk traders selling synthetic products, but in vain," said secretary of Cuttack Milk Traders' Association, Pradeep Kumar Behera.
According to sources, traders buy synthetic paneer at Rs 60 per kg and sell to customers at Rs 220. While generally, the shelf life of milk products is very low, the chemical composition in the synthetic product helps it retain freshness even after 2 to 3 days.
Police suspect involvement of some sweet vendors of Cuttack in the racket. While Chauliaganj police detained one person in this regard, further inquiry is underway to find out which shops in Cuttack received the product and whether it is supplied to any other town of the State.
Amarendra Panda, ACP (zone-1), said, "We are inquiring where else the product is being supplied and who were procuring them. We learnt that the traders sold it on roadside and also supply to different marriage feasts."
"We urge the consumers to properly verify before buying paneer. We can check the purity of paneer by putting it in hot water and mixing iodine in it. If the paneer turns blue, that means it is adulterated," he added.
(Edited By Suryakant Jena)