Almost one in three strokes are triggered by air pollution, alarming research has revealed.
The worldwide study named the environmental hazard as a major cause of one of the leading causes of death for the first time.
Air pollution, both inside from cooking fires and outside from traffic fumes, ranked among the top ten causes of stroke, along with better known risks such as smoking, high blood pressure and obesity.
Microscopic particles, much of which is generated by diesel exhausts, have been shown to cause clotting, which can lead to a stroke.
Stroke claims six million lives annually and many survivors suffer paralysis, speech problems and personality changes as a result.
Air pollution, both inside from cooking fires and outside from traffic fumes, causes a third of strokes
The New Zealand-led research analysed data from 188 countries to estimate the proportion of strokes that could be avoided if certain risks were avoided.
It found 70 per cent of strokes could be prevented by lifestyle changes such as giving up cigarettes, eating more fruit and vegetables and doing more exercise.
Overall, 30 per cent of of global disability associated with stroke is linked to air pollution.
This is especially high in developing countries where the burden is 33.7 per cent compared to 10.2 per cent in developed countries.
In low and middle-income nations in Asia and Africa, almost a fifth of stroke burden was attributed to household air pollution, while a similar percentage was blamed on outside air pollution in China and India.
In 2013, 17 per cent of global stroke cases were attributed to environmental air pollution, the Lancet Neurology study revealed.
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