Environmental factors and cardiovascular diseases

Abstract

Introduction. New advances in the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases (CVD), as practice shows, are not able to significantly improve the statistical indicators of morbidity and mortality of CVD. This fact indicates that there are additional factors and mechanisms that are important to consider, both for prevention and for the most optimal management of patients. Recently, the relationship between environmental and lifestyle factors with CVD has been actively studied. However, despite understanding the relationship between environmental factors and various diseases, including CVD, the mechanisms by which specific factors increase or decrease the risk of developing CVD are not yet fully understood, and a number of studies are contradictory. The aim of our work was to generalize existing data on the impact of such critical environmental factors as air pollution and solar insolation on the cardiovascular system, as well as to comprehensively discuss the mechanisms by which these environmental factors can participate in the development and progression of CVD. To achieve our work’s goal, we analyzed modern foreign literature using the PubMed database. Conclusion. According to numerous experimental and clinical studies, air pollution and solar insolation deficiency play an essential role in developing CVD and the aggravation of patients with various CVD (atherosclerosis, hypertension, coronary heart disease, heart failure, myocardial infarction, and stroke). Thus, air pollution and lack of solar insolation can be considered as critical risk factors for CVD. Future research should focus on the study and establishment of specific pathogenetic mechanisms by which environmental factors affect the cardiovascular system’s health to develop effective treatment and prevention measures.