Sree Chitra to explore link between indoor air pollution, heart health

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Over the next year, 200 heart patients in Kerala will sleep with a drum-sized cylindrical air purifier beside their beds. This is part of a major study being undertaken by the Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST) to explore the link between indoor air pollution and heart health.
The air purifiers -- supplied by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi -- will continuously monitor indoor air quality even as clinicians track each patient's heart condition. The goal: to understand whether cleaner indoor air can reduce complications in people suffering from heart failure.
The Kerala-based project is part of a larger multi-centre research initiative involving AIIMS, New Delhi, and the Dayanand Medical College, Ludhiana, in Punjab -- regions known for far worse air quality than Kerala. Funded by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the study is significant as cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death in India.
'Air pollution is not just a city or traffic issue. Indoor air, where people spend a majority of their time, can be just as hazardous, especially for those with heart failure,' Dr Harikrishnan S, principal investigator and professor of cardiology at SCTIMST, told TNIE.
'This study asks a crucial question: can reducing indoor air pollution improve outcomes for patients with heart failure?'
Each home will be equipped with one of two types of purifiers, distributed randomly. One has a basic bacterial filter while the other comes with both bacterial and dust filters. The devices will measure pollutants from environmental sources and household practices such as cooking.
'Patients will return for clinical review every three months, during which doctors will assess changes in their heart function, specifically the heart's pumping efficiency,' Dr Harikrishnan said.
A baseline reading from a central monitor installed at SCTIMST will help interpret the data collected by the homebased machines.

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