High temperatures and air pollution are contributing to rises in strokes across the Middle East and Africa, a study has found.
The regions have among the highest stroke rates worldwide, according to the research, which will be presented at the World Stroke Congress in Abu Dhabi in October.
Globally, about 12 million strokes occur each year, causing seven million deaths, according to the study, published in The Lancet Neurology journal.
Between 1990 and 2021, the number of people having their first stroke increased by up to 70 per cent, while deaths due to the condition rose by up to 44 per cent.
Loss of good health due to strokes also increased by about a third during the period. The Middle East, North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa fared worse than most regions during the period, losing more time due to ill health from strokes.
“From 1990 to 2021, the age-standardised proportion of stroke DALYs [time due to ill health] attributable to risk factors increased in North Africa and the Middle East and sub-Saharan Africa,” said the study, “but did not change in south Asia and South-east Asia, East Asia, and Oceania, and decreased in central Europe, eastern Europe, and central Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as high-income GBD [global burden of disease] regions.”
The rise may “reflect a failure in the control of risk factors” in the regions, said the report. The study identified 23 risk factors, including air pollution, excess body weight, high blood pressure, smoking and physical inactivity.
Top 10 most polluted countries – in pictures
It found the contribution of high temperatures to poor health and early death due to stroke has risen 72 per cent since 1990, a trend likely to continue to increase due to the worsening impact of climate change.
The study also revealed for the first time the high contribution – on par with smoking – of particulate matter air pollution to fatal brain bleeds known as subarachnoid haemorrhage.
“This study is, to our knowledge, the first to show the large contribution of ambient particulate matter pollution and household air pollution from solid fuels to subarachnoid haemorrhage, with a similar [relationship] to that of smoking.”
It found that air pollution in 2021 appeared to be “highly important” to other types of stroke, causing 11.9 per cent of total deaths from all causes, making it the second largest cause of deaths from all causes globally, after high systolic blood pressure.
“These findings are in line with research showing that rises in ambient temperature (including heatwaves) and climate change are associated with increased stroke morbidity and mortality,” added the study.
The Middle East has the world’s highest levels of dangerous air pollution particles, which are responsible for millions of heart disease deaths globally each year, according to a recent report.
The World Heart Foundation (WHF) study found that Kuwait, Egypt and Afghanistan have the worst concentrations of particles less than 2.5 micrometres in diameter (PM2.5), which come from sources that include vehicle exhaust fumes, power plant combustion and burning wood.
Globally, almost 7 million deaths were attributed to air pollution in 2019 – a higher mortality toll than all wars, malaria, tuberculosis, HIV and other infectious diseases combined, according to the WHF.
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Name: Steppi
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Launched: February 2020
Size: 10,000 users by the end of July and a goal of 200,000 users by the end of the year
Employees: Five
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Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021
Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.
The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.
These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.
“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.
“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.
“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.
“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”
Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.
There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.
“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.
“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.
“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”
Types of bank fraud
1) Phishing
Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.
2) Smishing
The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.
3) Vishing
The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.
4) SIM swap
Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.
5) Identity theft
Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.
6) Prize scams
Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.
