Experts issue joint warning about major factor contributing to heart attacks: 'The science is settled'

An international group of cardiologists urged action to counter the effects of the changing climate on heart health. Six physicians from the American Heart Association, American College of Cardiology, European Society of Cardiology, and World Heart Federation said pollution and extreme heat are compounding what is already the world's leading noncommunicable cause of death.

What's happening?

At least four million people who die from cardiovascular disease every year do so because of environmental risk factors, Environmental Health News reported.

JAMA Medical News published a rundown of the statement and said air pollution was the biggest issue, with water, soil, and chemical pollution contributing to early mortality as well. Extreme heat and the other results of rising global temperatures, which include more frequent and severe wildfires and floods, are other events that lead to coronary problems.

"Even stressors such as noise exposure and artificial light at night have demonstrated adverse effects," the outlet noted. "Increased urbanization has intensified the effects of environmental risk factors, the authors of the joint statement said."

The doctors' letter stated that noncommunicable diseases make up 70% of global deaths, or over 38 million each year. Cardiovascular disease accounts for 44% of those deaths.

Why is this important?

One author of the statement, Dr. Sanjay Rajagopalan, said an increase in noncommunicable diseases "might be the hidden fingerprint of broad environmental exposures." 

The goal of the report is to improve preventative care by making doctors aware of environmental stressors so they can consider how to address them in patient treatment.

"A unified voice was needed to state clearly that the science is settled — and that continued inaction reflects political and structural inertia rather than scientific uncertainty," lead author Dr. Thomas Münzel told JAMA Medical News. He added that environmental risk factors are now more impactful than "many classical risk factors."

The letter added that the health care industry can work to reduce its own environmental impact, which contributes 4% of heat-trapping gases to the atmosphere. The doctors said using renewable energy, avoiding plastic, and promoting plant-based meals while reducing food waste were vital.

"Pollution alone is responsible for 9 to 12.6 million deaths yearly, depending on the metric. However, these figures likely underestimate the actual burden, as they do not fully account for ERFs like plastic pollution or their interactions with cardiovascular risk factors like hypertension and diabetes," they stated.

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What's being done about environmental risk factors?

The authors emphasized that the effects of environmental risk factors on heart health are intertwined with other factors and demanded "immediate, coordinated, and courageous actions to reduce pollution, mitigate climate change, adopt sustainable practices, and reduce personal and societal exposure to harmful ERFs — particularly in low- and middle-income countries that disproportionately bear the brunt of global environmental degradation."

They said change will hinge on advocacy and policy influence, research and data-driven initiatives, education and capacity building, local-global partnerships, implementation of actionable strategies, and development of global guidelines.

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