Unveiling the exposome: How environmental stressors impact cardiovascular health

Understanding the impact of environment and lifestyle stressors on your heart could help prolong healthspan.

Environmental stressors, ranging from air pollution and noise to unhealthy urban planning and climate change, have long been recognized as significant risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Now, in an article published in Nature Review Cardiology, an international team of researchers have shed light on the profound effects of these environmental stressors on the cardiovascular system, employing the emerging exposome concept.

My take on this: The exposome concept encapsulates the cumulative lifetime exposure to all environmental risk factors and their subsequent impact on an individual’s health. By linking adverse environmental exposures to pathophysiological changes, chronic diseases and premature mortality, this emerging field of research provides a holistic understanding of the interplay between the environment and human health.

Within the cardiovascular domain, the application of the exposome concept unveils a compelling narrative, paving the way for innovative prevention strategies – strategies desperately needed given that cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death worldwide.

Global epidemiological studies have revealed that nearly two-thirds of annual deaths worldwide can be attributed to chronic non-communicable diseases, with cardiovascular ailments taking the top slot as the primary cause. This alarming trend is exacerbated by environmental stressors such as land, water, air and noise pollution, as well as unhealthy urban designs and sedentary lifestyles.

Delve deeper into the exposome concept, HERE.

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