It's not just the story of the lungs
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Quang - Deputy General Director of Internal Medicine, Vinmec Health System - said that one of the common misunderstandings today is that air pollution mainly causes lung diseases.
In fact, medical evidence shows a much broader impact, from cardiovascular, respiratory to neurological, metabolic and pregnancy health.
In 2019, there were about 6.7 million deaths related to air pollution globally. Another research model estimates that outdoor air pollution can reduce life expectancy by an average of about 2.9 years. Notably, cardiovascular disease is one of the most affected groups.
Air pollution increases deaths from ischemic heart disease by 16%, which is myocardial infarction, and by 11% due to stroke. There is a close link between air pollution, especially fine dust, and cardiovascular events," Assoc. Prof. Quang said.
According to statistics, more than 50% of deaths are caused by PM2.5 fine dust. Assoc. Prof. Quang explained that fine dust and pollutants when entering the body can affect endothelial cells in blood vessels, causing vascular dysfunction. This leads to a series of problems such as high blood pressure, atherosclerosis, stroke, myocardial infarction, arrhythmia and sudden death.
The impact of air pollution does not stop at the heart and lungs but also affects the nervous system, metabolism and health of pregnant women, fetuses, and children.
In which, Assoc. Prof. Quang especially noted the vulnerable groups including people with cardiovascular and underlying respiratory diseases; people over 65 years old; children, fetuses and pregnant women; communities with unfavorable socio-economic conditions.
In Vietnam, Assoc. Prof. Quang cited World Bank data for 2017, according to which PM dust pollution is related to about 70,960 premature deaths, equivalent to about 195 cases per day.
People need to monitor air quality such as viewing weather forecasts.
From a medical perspective, Assoc. Prof. Quang believes that environmental data needs to be brought closer to life so that each person can proactively reduce the risk of exposure.
Currently, fine dust is one of the polluting components with many measurement tools and data. However, to assess air quality more fully, it is also necessary to pay attention to other components such as ozone, NO2, SO2. Air quality indicators are therefore not simply numbers for reference. When monitored, updated and warned promptly, data can help people adjust their living plans, travel and exercise, especially during high pollution periods.
Assoc. Prof. Quang gave a close comparison: Many people are used to opening their phones to see if it rains or shines today before going out, but have not formed a similar habit with air quality. We need to see air pollution as a parameter like whether there is rain or not, sun or not for us to prepare. When high levels of pollution appear, according to experts, people can limit outdoor exposure, especially in places near pollution sources; avoid busy traffic times and choose routes with fewer vehicles when possible.
People with underlying diseases and high-risk groups need to be warned and consulted to proactively prevent them.
Indoors, people can limit polluting sources, appropriate ventilation and choose air purification equipment properly. Assoc. Prof. Quang also noted that masks or air purifiers are not absolute "shields". Masks need to be suitable and worn tightly; air purification equipment also needs to be selected and used properly.
Another noteworthy point is that people should not completely give up physical exercise because of pollution concerns.
In terms of medicine, we still recommend physical exercise, because physical exercise brings better results than the effects of external air pollution. However, on days of excessive pollution, we exercise indoors or choose less polluted areas" - Assoc. Prof. Quang recommends.
On the health sector side, experts believe that air pollution needs to be seen as a potentially interventional risk factor. Medical staff need to pay attention to exposure history, the sensitivity of each patient and include pollution prevention content in counseling, especially for those at high risk groups. Monitoring and timely information help each individual reduce exposure, however, fundamental solutions must still be linked to controlling the source of pollution.
