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Air Pollution and Cardiovascular Diseases (Risk Factors and the Myocardial Cell Defence)

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Book cover Clinical Handbook of Air Pollution-Related Diseases

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Abstract

Several researches provide compelling evidences on the cardiovascular effects of fine particulate matter (PM) for the development of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease and in triggering acute cardiac events. PM10, PM2.5 and PM0.3 are strongly associated with increased incidence of myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, arrhythmias and vascular dysfunction; fine and ultrafine particles showed direct toxicity on both endothelial and myocardial cells, whilst all PMs (including gross dust) showed indirect toxic effects that are able to promote systemic inflammation.

Although some topics have been largely covered, other data are missing and the information we have are not solid. The variables are several and the studies do not take into account the idea of complexity. However, there are so far strong evidences and clues that air pollution has an effect on blood pressure and hypertension, on pulmonary hypertension and heart-lung diseases, and on heart failure and ischaemic heart diseases.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    That is, of 580 published publications, only 26 were analysed. It is very difficult to prove that these highly selective processes and these criteria will lead to a level of information and knowledge greater than that of other modern methodological approaches.

  2. 2.

    The individual components of the air pollution have toxic effects directly on the cells, tissues and organs and must therefore be regarded as etiologic factors of disease. For other, in the recent literature, many “non-specific” measures of air pollution (as the total PM or the Air Quality Index) are directly associated with other risk factors and to the incidence of cardiovascular new events, irrespective of causal link.

  3. 3.

    NO2 is used as a marker of traffic exposition.

  4. 4.

    Human immunodeficiency virus, schistosomiasis, haemoglobinopathies, interstitial lung disease and COPD, healed tuberculosis infection, high altitudes and chronic pulmonary hypertension (thromboembolic)

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Scientific Director of Health Lab of GTechnology Foundation, Modena, Italy

    Antonio Vittorino Gaddi

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  1. Antonio Vittorino Gaddi
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Correspondence to Antonio Vittorino Gaddi .

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  1. Alder Hey Children’s Hospital , Liverpool, United Kingdom

    Fabio Capello

  2. Scientific Director of Health Lab of GTechnology Foundation, Modena, Italy

    Antonio Vittorino Gaddi

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Gaddi, A.V. (2018). Air Pollution and Cardiovascular Diseases (Risk Factors and the Myocardial Cell Defence). In: Capello, F., Gaddi, A. (eds) Clinical Handbook of Air Pollution-Related Diseases. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-62731-1_16

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-62731-1_16

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