A study in more than 3,000 US counties, with 315 million residents, has suggested that air pollution is linked with stress and depression, putting under-65-year-olds at increased risk of dying from cardiovascular disease.
A study in more than 3,000 US counties, with 315 million residents, has suggested that air pollution is linked with stress and depression, putting under-65-year-olds at increased risk of dying from cardiovascular disease. The research is presented today at ESC Preventive Cardiology 2024, a scientific congress of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).
“Our study indicates that the air we breathe affects our mental well-being, which in turn impacts heart health,” said study lead author Dr. Shady Abohashem of Harvard Medical School, Boston, US.
According to the World Health Organization, air pollution is estimated to have caused 4.2 million premature deaths worldwide in 2019. Mental illness has also been linked with premature death. This study examined whether air pollution and poor mental health are interrelated and have a joint impact on death from cardiovascular disease.
The study focused on particles less than 2.5 micrometres in diameter, also referred to as fine particles or PM2.5. They come from vehicle exhaust fumes, power plant combustion, and burning wood, and present the highest health risk. To conduct the study, county-level data on annual PM2.5 levels were obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). PM2.5 exposure was categorised as high or low according to World Health Organization (WHO) standards. The researchers gathered data on the average number of days (age-standardised) that county residents experienced mental health issues—including stress, depression, and emotional problems—from the CDC. Each county was then categorised into three groups based on these numbers. Counties in the top third reported the most days of poor mental health (PMH). Age-adjusted premature cardiovascular mortality rates (under 65 years of age) per county, were obtained from the CDC. County characteristics were sourced from the County Health Rankings project.
Read more at European Society of Cardiology
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