Cardiovascular deaths from air pollution are declining

by Daniel Fink, MD, Chair, The Quiet Coalition

Photo credit: Carlos Escobar

The Yale Today recently reported on a study from the Yale School of Public Health showing that cardiovascular deaths from air pollution are declining. The research, published in Science Advances and open access, showed that while overall cardiovascular deaths from air pollution are declining, the decline has been uneven among geographic regions and racial and ethnic groups. The study also showed that certain components of particulate matter air pollution are more important than others.

Why am I writing about air pollution on a blog about noise? Because noise is the unwanted soundtrack of internal combustion engines, which emit both particulate and gaseous air pollution. Both air and noise pollution can cause cardiovascular disease. Research shows that the effects of noise and air pollution combine to worsen health outcomes.

Four major cardiology organizations — the American Heart Association, the American College of Cardiology, the European Society of Cardiology and the World Heart Association — recently issued a policy statement urging action on environmental risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

We hope legislators will take notice of this research and the cardiology professional societies’ policy statement, and take action to reduce air and noise pollution. A quieter world with cleaner air will be a better and healthier world for all.

Disclosure: I am a graduate of Yale College, the undergraduate branch of Yale University.