What is the reason for and aim of the publication?
The reason for the publication is to raise awareness of the role of Environmental Risk Factors (ERFs) in increasing the incidence of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) which account for 70% of mortality world-wide.
What are the most important take-home messages?
- ERFs play an increasingly important role in the incidence of NCDs.
- ERFs include air pollution, water pollution, soil pollution, noise pollution, chemical pollution, plastic pollution, artificial light, and global warming leading to climate change.
- Recognition of the problem and political will are necessary to reduce the presence of ERFs, thereby reducing environmental stressors and improving cardiovascular health.
Central Illustration. Environmental stressors and cardiovascular health multiple environmental exposures, including noise and light pollution, air pollution, water and soil contamination, chemical pollution, and climate change, contribute to cardiovascular disease (CVD) through shared and interacting pathways involving oxidative stress, inflammation, autonomic imbalance, and endothelial dysfunction. The interplay among these stressors amplifies overall cardiovascular risk and underscores the need for integrated exposome-based prevention strategies.
What are challenges in practical implementation – and possible solutions?
Lack of awareness of the scope of the problem is the major challenge to implementations of the changes necessary to reduce ERFs. Education of politicians, healthcare workers and the general public are necessary to overcome this lack of awareness.
Which issues still need to be tackled, that are not yet addressed by the paper?
The economic pressures against tackling the problem of ERFs was not addressed by the paper. These present a major hurdle for those interested in policy change.
What further developments on the topic are emerging?
New ERFs that impact on the incidence of NCDs are constantly being identified.
Environmental Stressors and Cardiovascular Health: Acting Locally for Global Impact in a Changing World
Münzel T, Lüscher T, Kramer C. et al. Environmental Stressors and Cardiovascular Health: Acting Locally for Global Impact in a Changing World: A statement of the European Society of Cardiology, the American College of Cardiology, the American Heart Association, and the World Heart Federation. JACC. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2026.01.015
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