World Heart Report: Air Pollution-Related Deaths From Heart Conditions, Obesity, Diabetes Are Growing—And Climate Change Partially To Blame

Topline

Global rates of death caused by heart conditions, diabetes and obesity due to air pollution significantly increased over the past decade, according to the 2024 World Heart Report, and emissions caused by climate change played a part in exacerbating this.

Key Facts

What Causes Air Pollution

Air pollution consists of dangerous materials from both natural and human-made sources. Several things cause it, including vehicle emissions, fumes from chemical productions, gas that heats homes and byproducts from manufacturing power productions, which are among the main sources of human-caused air pollution, according to the National Institutes of Health. Naturally occurring hazardous substances include smoke from wildfires, ash from volcanoes and gases like methane, which come from decomposing organic matter in the soil.

How Does Climate Change Affect Air Pollution?

Climate change and air pollution are interlinked because they both worsen each other, according to the report. Climate-related weather changes cause increases in particulate matter and ground-level ozone, which is a harmful gas and the main ingredient in smog. Climate change can cause an increase in weather events like wildfires and dust storms, increasing the release of dangerous particulate matter and worsening health conditions, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. These increases in outdoor air pollution can worsen inside air quality, since they can enter homes and buildings through open doors and ventilation systems. Black carbon, one of the main elements of fine particulate matter, is one of the largest contributors to global warming after carbon dioxide. It is a heat-absorbing chemical, so it absorbs light and warms the Earth’s atmosphere, thus leading to the melting of ice and snow.

Surprising Fact

Household air pollution contributed to 3.2 million deaths worldwide between 2010 and 2019, a similar figure to the amount of deaths related to outdoor air pollution, according to the report. Low- or middle-income countries experienced most of these deaths due to lack of access to electricity and gas cooking. Over 2 billion worldwide still rely on polluting fuels like coal, wood, charcoal and crop waste for everyday survival.

Key Background

Heart disease was the leading cause of death worldwide—and in the U.S.—followed by stroke in 2019, according to the WHO. One in three Americans has heart or blood vessel disease, and heart disease deaths typically affect people 65 years and older, according to the EPA. Those who are the most susceptible to fine particulate matter include older adults, those with obesity, diabetics, non-white people, those with underlying conditions and people of low economic status. Short-term exposure to air pollution can cause an increased risk of heart attack, stroke, heart failure and irregular heartbeat, while long-term exposure increases the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure and death. Although reduction in air pollution emissions should be the top priority, the World Heart Federation believes a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, fiber and protein; supplements like omega-fatty acids; and the use of medication for people with heart disease that have unavoidably high exposure to air pollution can help prevent the cardiovascular effects of air pollution.