Climate Change affecting your heart health: Expert

Rapid climate change is affecting the human body in different ways but majorly cardiovascular health.
Speaking during a session on ‘Climate Change and Heart Disease’ organised on Thursday as part of four-day ‘Emerging Approaches in Risk Analysis and Translational Aspects of Health and Environment (EARTH 2024)’ conference, Dr Sanjay Srivastava, University of Louisville, Kentucky, USA, said that while a lot of information is floated around related to climate change there is an actual need to study the implications of the phenomenon.
“The extreme rise and fall in temperatures can be deadly. According to a report, every 1 in 100 people across the globe lose their lives due to extreme weather conditions every year. Even the period of transition between summer to winter is one such phase where the human body is involuntarily exposed to high levels of toxicants which are quite harmful for health,” said Srivastava.
He also said that changes in weather patterns across the globe are injurious to lung and heart health. Speaking about ways to avoid them, Srivastava highlighted the need to increase plant cover near high traffic areas which can help in cleaning the area and detoxifying chemicals.
“Certain transgenic plants over synthesise proteins which help in cleaning the chemicals prevalent in the air. Some clinical trials for therapeutic interventions are underway in which some pills containing chemicals that can help in cleaning pollutants from the body are being tested. In the long run there can be inhalers which can lower blood pressure and clean toxicants,” he said.
Several other sessions related to toxicology, health, environment and food safety were organised on Day Two at the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research – Indian Institute of Toxicology Research (CSIR-IITR).