Four leading cardiovascular organisations issued a joint statement 28 January, urging authorities to mitigate the impact of air pollution on human health.
Air pollution is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease, and a major contributor to global disease. Long-term exposure to pollutants has also been linked to increased risk of death from Covid-19.
The World Heart Federation (WHF), American College of Cardiology (ACC), American Heart Association (AHA) and European Society of Cardiology (ESC) co-authored a letter to highlight the ‘triple threat’ that air pollution, Covid-19 and cardiovascular disease pose.
In 2019, an estimated 6.7 million premature deaths, 12 per cent of all deaths globally, could be attributed to air pollution.
Half of these were due to cardiovascular disease. Air pollution increases the risk of heart attack, stroke, diabetes and respiratory diseases.
These are also known to increase risk of experiencing the severe symptoms of Covid-19. Those with cardiovascular disease found those who reside in areas with higher air pollution are 11 per cent more likely to die from coronavirus.
The letter calls for changes to infrastructure to lower levels of air pollution, providing the most vulnerable less exposure.
Professor Stephen Achenbach, President of the European Society of Cardiology, commented: ‘More research is urgently required to identify susceptible populations and to determine optimal methods of improving air quality to benefit cardiovascular health.’
‘Even before the Covid-19 pandemic, air pollution was an issue of growing concern due to its impact on people’s health, although it was frequently overlooked as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease,’ said Michael Brauer, Chair of the World Heart Federation Air Pollution Expert Group and co-author of the statement.
