Did you know that air pollution is recognized as a cardiovascular risk factor?
This is why the term “environmental cardiology” was created, referring to studies on the incidence of pollution on cardiovascular health.
According to data provided by the Spanish Heart Foundation, environmental pollution causes 8.8 million deaths a year in the world and nearly 30,000 of them occur in Spain.
Between 40% and 80% of these deaths are due to cardiovascular causes. According to experts, polluted air directly affects the increase in cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack, angina, stroke or heart failure.
Why does pollution accelerate the development of cardiovascular diseases?
When a person’s exposure to air pollution is continuous, it can cause thickening and accumulation of fat in the arteries in the long term, leading to what is known as atherosclerosis.
Atherosclerosis is a condition that tends to appear with aging and occurs when there is an accumulation of fat, cholesterol and other substances in the walls of the arteries that end up narrowing or blocking the arteries.
Green SEC-FEC Project to reduce the morbidity and mortality by cardiovascular diseases related to pollution
The Spanish Society of Cardiology (SEC) and the Spanish Heart Foundation (FEC) have created a project called Green SEC-FEC, to reduce the number of deaths from cardiovascular diseases related to pollution.
To this end, they have conducted a study and developed preventive and therapeutic strategies that seek to minimize the harmful influences of environmental pollution and support sustainable urban environments.
Objectives of the Green SEC-FEC project
The following objectives have been established within the project:
- Deepen the dissemination of knowledge of environmental contaminants as cardiovascular risk factors.
- Promote research in the field of environmental pollutants among members of the SEC and participate in studies with other societies that are also interested in the prevention of air pollution.
- Urge the SEC and the FEC to participate in prevention strategies in Public Health, collaborating in the development of population measures and cardiovascular prevention guidelines.
- Modify attitudes and the use of materials or resources in our society to act in accordance with preventive recommendations for environmental pollution.
- Raise awareness in society of the importance of environmental pollutants for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases, as it is done with other better-known risk factors such as smoking or obesity.
- Promote the creation of heart-healthy cities based on sustainable architecture.
How can we contribute to not increasing environmental pollution?
At RESILIENCE we are involved in this task, in which we can all collaborate if we want to, with small actions, some of which might have a direct positive impact on our cardiovascular health, such as recycling, saving water, using public transport or reducing plastic consumption.
