Essential
- Cardiovascular diseases are aggravated by often neglected environmental factors, such as noise, pollution, heat and certain chemical pollutants.
- Their combination, called multimodal exhibitions, multiplies the risks of infarction and stroke.
- Stricter laws and green town planning could reduce these invisible threats to the heart.
Cardiovascular diseases remain the leading cause of mortality worldwide and the second in France, with some 140,000 deaths per year, according to Public Health France. If we know well the risks linked to tobacco, obesity or diabetes, an international team of researchers, led by the University of Mainz in Germany, alerts to another enemy, much more discreet: environmental factors.
Invisible attackers
According to their study published in Cardiovascular Researchchronic exposure to noise, fine particles, heat waves and certain chemical pollutants can considerably damage the cardiovascular system. “Noise can intensify the impact of air pollutants, and heat act as a catalyst for vascular damage caused by toxins”explains Professor Thomas Münzel, cardiologist in Mainz, in a press release.
In detail, the noise of traffic activates the production of stress hormones, disrupts sleep, causes hypertension and vascular inflammation. Atmospheric pollution is not to be outdone: fine particles enter the lungs and then in the blood, promoting oxidative stress, endothelial lesions and atherosclerosis. As for heat waves, like this week, they mainly weaken the elderly and heart patients, especially in the city where the “heat island” effect amplifies the risk of infarction and stroke (AVC). Finally, persistent pollutants, such as pesticides, heavy metals or even PFAS, these “eternal pollutants”, accumulate in the body via water and food, increasing inflammation and altering vascular functions.
The danger of cumulation
That’s not all: what researchers call exhibition – The combination of several exhibitions – even more amplifies the harmful effects. The common biological mechanisms include oxidative stress, activation of pro-inflammatory enzymes such as NOX-2 and endothelial dysfunction, as many signals of infarction and stroke.
With this concept of exhibitions, scientists now have a global vision of the cumulative impact of environmental factors on heart health, which opens the way to targeted preventive strategies. The authors argue for more strict noise and pollution laws, lasting town planning and the creation of green spaces to protect the hearts of millions of people.