Heart disease and stroke: health effects of pollution that cause more premature deaths

climate crisis This is reality, and its impact on health too. The World Health Organization (WHO) has been warning about the need to reduce emissions for many years, and the data confirms this alarm, as, according to the organization, Exposure to air pollution causes nearly 7 million premature deaths every yearOf these, more than half of deaths are due to cardiovascular causes, especially coronary heart disease and stroke. This is the conclusion reached by a new series of studies published in Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

In addition to analyzing global warming, pollution and the impact of wildfires, they analyzed light, noise and soil pollution, as well as exposure to toxins. According to the authors, “evidence suggests that the number of people who die prematurely as a result of all these causes of pollution above “than expected,” explains Jason Kovacic, director of the Victor Chang Heart Research Institute in Sydney, Australia.

Elderly people most affected

They are not the only ones researching the influence of the environment on cardiovascular health. Recently, a Spanish study led by Esther García-Esquinas, researcher in epidemiology and public health (CIBERESP) of the Center for Biomedical Research Network (CIBER-ISCIII) and the National Center of Epidemiology of the Carlos III Institute of Health (ISCIII) found that living near green spaces has a beneficial effect on cardiovascular health of older people.

Report published in the magazine Ecological Internationalbased on data from 2,200 people aged 65 years and older who had no history of cardiovascular disease and residents of densely populated areas of the Russian Federation. Community of Madrid, identifies mediating factors of these associations. These include reducing traffic exposure and increasing walkability in urban areas with greater green space density, as well as improving functional ability and reducing the prevalence of biological risk factors for cardiovascular disease among their residents. Some benefits of green space appear to be more noticeable to low-income people and women.

The researcher measured the impact of green space using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) at different distances from study participants’ homes. In addition, the impact of traffic, the environment, the walkability of the area and socio-economic resources according to your census. “This study highlights the importance of access to green space in urban environments for the cardiovascular health of older adults, suggesting benefits beyond simply enjoying nature,” explains Dr. Garcia-Esquinas.

Asthma or depression, most common

In addition to cardiovascular diseases, There are other pathologies associated with this phenomenon. The Spanish Society of Clinical Immunology, Allergology and Childhood Asthma (SEICAP) warned that environmental pollution in the first years of life is associated with a higher incidence of asthma in early and middle childhood, the society points out, citing a study published in the journal JAMA. . Faced with this situation, SEICAP called on the administration to “implement effective policies that will reduce children’s exposure to air pollution, as well as reduce emissions of pollutants and therefore stop the development of asthma among the child population.” .

The same scientific journal recently published a report prepared by British researchers, which showed that early life exposure to these environmental pollutants increases the likelihood of developing psychotic disorders, depression and anxiety throughout adolescence and childhood. Inhalation of air pollution was associated with an increased risk of psychotic disorders and depression, while exposure to high noise levels was associated with an increased risk of anxiety.