People who live in areas with environmental adversities — such as pollution, intense traffic, few green areas and greater amounts of toxic waste — may present a increased risk for developing cardiovascular disease and stroke . The finding comes from a study published at the end of March in Journal of the American Heart Association.
In addition search also took into account aspects of social vulnerability, such as unemployment, low income, low education, little access to the internet and health care, for the development of these health conditions.
“Our study is one of the first to examine the impact of social and environmental factors in combination and to analyze the complex interaction between them,” says the study’s senior author, Sarju Ganatra, in a press release.
How was the study carried out?
To arrive at the findings, the study used the Environmental Justice Index — developed with data from the United States Census Bureau, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Mine Safety and Health Administration and the country's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. — to assess environmental disadvantage across all census tracts in the United States.
The analysis found that people living in more environmentally vulnerable neighborhoods had 1.6 times higher rate of blocked arteries It is more than double the stroke rate (Cerebral Vascular Accident) compared to those who lived in less environmentally vulnerable neighborhoods.
Furthermore, risk factors for cardiovascular diseases were higher in the most vulnerable areas, with double the rate of type 2 diabetes fees 1.8 times higher risk of chronic kidney disease It is 1.5 times higher incidence of hypertension and obesity .
Finally, the study noted that about 30% of all U.S. residents ages 18 to 44, 21% of black adults, and the majority of Hispanic adults resided in places with greater environmental risk.
“I was surprised to see the close links and complex interplay between social and environmental factors on health outcomes. We were able to demonstrate its 'double impact' on health outcomes. And what's more, we were further surprised by the fact that even after adjusting for socioeconomic factors, environmental factors played a crucial and independent role in determining several heart diseases and other related health outcomes,” says Ganatra.
Interventions needed to reduce pollution exposure, researchers say
For the study authors, the findings show that a multifaceted approach is needed with interventions to reduce exposure to pollution and create public policies that address the causes of poverty, urban revitalization, high-quality public education, job creation programs, and affordable housing, along with measures to ensure universal access to quality health care in the United States.
“Our goal is to empower the healthcare community to better inform patients about the environmental factors they encounter daily. Patients, in turn, gain the ability to reduce their exposure to harmful environmental conditions, such as exposure to harmful chemicals and air pollutants to minimize health hazards and mitigate health risks,” says Ganatra.
Although the study showed a strong association between environmental and social factors and cardiovascular diseases, the research still has limitations as it cannot prove cause and effect due to the nature of the database used for the analysis. Therefore, more studies are needed to reinforce the findings.
Source: CNN Brasil
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