Climate change and cardiovascular disease: implications for global health

Abstract

Climate change is the greatest existential challenge to planetary and human health and is dictated by a shift in the Earth's weather and air conditions owing to anthropogenic activity.Climate change has resulted not only in extreme temperatures, but also in an increase in the frequency of droughts, wildfires, dust storms, coastal flooding, storm surges and hurricanes, as well as multiple compound and cascading events. The interactions between climate change and health outcomes are diverse and complex and include several exposure pathways that might promote the development of non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease. A collaborative approach is needed to solve this climate crisis, whereby medical professionals, scientific researchers, public health officials and policymakers should work together to mitigate and limit the consequences of global warming. In this Review, we aim to provide an overview of the consequences of climate change on cardiovascular health, which result from direct exposure pathways, such as shifts in ambient temperature, air pollution, forest fires, desert (dust and sand) storms and extreme weather events. We also describe the populations that are most susceptible to the health effects caused by climate change and propose potential mitigation strategies, with an emphasis on collaboration at the scientific, governmental and policy levels.

Effects of Short- And Medium-Term Exposures to Lower Air Temperature on 71 Novel Biomarkers of Subclinical Inflammation: Results from the KORA F4 Study

“…Exposure to low temperatures is associated with not only increased risks of various chronic diseases but also increased mortality. ,,, Many previous studies reported that increased pro- and anti-inflammatory biomarkers (IL-6, EN-RAGE, and IL-10) were associated with increased risks of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and mortality. − IL-6 is a pleiotropic cytokine with pro-inflammatory effects, which can induce atherosclerosis in cardiovascular disease . EN-RAGE binds to RAGE, activating the pro-inflammatory NF-κB signaling, the typical innate immune system pathway involved in coronary heart disease pathogenesis. , IL-10 is a pleiotropic cytokine that is most widely recognized as an anti-inflammatory cytokine.…”

“…Increasing evidence from epidemiological studies revealed a U-shaped association between the air temperature and mortality. Of note, mortality increases both above and below a certain temperature optimum that appears to vary geographically. − Exposure to lower air temperature is also linked to a higher risk for chronic diseases. , Low temperatures sometimes contribute to more deaths than high temperatures. ,,− For example, according to the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019, nonoptimal temperatures were a risk factor for global mortality, and low temperatures, compared to high temperatures, were associated with a greater mortality burden worldwide . A study based on more than 1 million clinical visits for inflammation-related diseases in the Haiyuan and Yanchi counties in China found that low air temperature exposure was associated with an increased risk of inflammation-related diseases …”

Machine learning models to predict myocardial infarctions from past climatic and environmental conditions

“…In light of ageing western societies as well as ongoing environmental and climatic changes, which have been identified as important risk factors, MI is likely to remain a considerable burden to health systems in the future (e.g. Khraishah et al, 2022). It is therefore paramount to deepen the understanding of the complex interplay between environmental and other risk factors and their effect on MI and to estimate their expected future development.…”

Long-term effects of meteorological factors and extreme weather on daily outpatient visits for conjunctivitis from 2013 to 2020: a time-series study in Urumqi, China

“…2019). The effects of weather factors on neurodegenerative pathologies(Bongioanni et al 2021), cardiovascular system diseases(Khraishah et al 2022), and some infectious diseases(Williams et al 2021) have been extensively studied, but there are still fewer studies on the effects of direct exposure to the environment on ocular surface diseases. In a nationwide, population-based, cross-sectional study, Lee et al found that patients with allergic conjunctivitis had increased incidence in May (spring), September (autumn), and the valley in winter(Lee et al 2020).…”