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Four major cardiovascular organizations – the World Heart Association (WHF), American College of Cardiology (ACC), American Heart Association (AHA), and European Society of Cardiology (ESC) – have called on the medical community and health authorities. take action to mitigate the harmful health effects of air pollution.
The statement was published at the same time on January 28 in the Journal of the American College of Geology, Circulation, an Journal of the Heart of Europe, and Global Heart.
Air pollution has been shown to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), including myocardial infarction and stroke, as well as diabetes and respiratory diseases.
Recent evidence also suggests that air pollution increases the risk of more severe COVID-19 and death from COVID-19, they note. Air pollution can also increase the risk of modern coronavirus spread due to its effects on more frequent coughing.
This dangerous “triple threat” of air pollution, COVID-19, and CVD requires urgent action, the report’s authors say.
“Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, air pollution was a growing concern due to its impact on human health, although it was often seen as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, Michael Brauer, ScD, chairman of the WHF air pollution expert group and co-author of the report, said in a press release.
“COVID-19 has brought a new, lethal feature to the equation, and it’s time for the health community to speak up and take action,” Brauer said.
The authors call for structural actions to reduce emissions of air pollution and harmful exposures. They also ask healthcare providers to:
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Advocating for air pollution mitigation as a health measure, further research on air quality and its impact on CVD, and interventions to reduce air pollution and its impact on non-communicable disease.
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Give patients personal measures to keep them open, such as room air filtration systems.
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Integration of air pollution into disease control practices, for example through the use of air quality indices.
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Participate in the development of guidelines on air pollution and CVD.
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Support the ministry of environment, energy, and transportation in the mitigation efforts.
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Work to educate and raise awareness about the cardiovascular benefits of fresh air.
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Collaborate with senior decision makers in national, regional and global government institutions to prioritize airway-related heart disease.
“Clinicians have a responsibility to educate their patients, colleagues and their communities as a whole about the link between air pollution and the risk of cardiovascular disease,” said Richard Kovacs, MD, senior author of the collaboration. ACC statement and vice president immediately. in the press release.
“By advocating for the recognition of air pollution as a health factor, working alone with our patients to reduce exposure and associated risks, and integrating air pollution into more disease control methods more broadly, the health care community can support greater pollution mitigation efforts, ”Kovacs said.
“Poor air quality can damage heart and brain health, with a disproportionate impact on low incomes and deprived communities near sources of air pollution,” said co-author Robert Harrington, MD, vice-president. just sit the AHA.
“We need to address this problem as a global community to equitably reduce air pollution and reverse the health harms of poor air quality for all,” Harrington said.
ESC President Stephan Achenbach, MD, noted that air pollution is “one of the most unexplained causes of heart disease and stroke.”
“Air pollution must be recognized as a key variable risk factor in the prevention and management of cardiovascular disease, and measures are needed to mitigate its short-term and long-term adverse effects on cardiovascular health, which may be beyond generations, urgently reduced, ”Achenbach said.
Kovacs reports on others from Cook Research Inc, another from Clintrex, personal taxes from Eli Lilly, donations and personal taxes from Gen InCode, personal taxes from Prilenia, another from Pfizer, outside of the work that was applied. Brauer, Harrington, and Achenbach have not disclosed any material financial relationships.
J Am Coll Cardiol. Published online January 28, 2021. Full text
Circulation. Published online 28 January 2021. Summary
Eur Heart J. 2021; ehaa1025. Summary
Global Heart. 2021; 16: 8. The full text
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