Top Things to Know: Guidance to Reduce the Cardiovascular Burden of Ambient Air Pollutants
Published: November 05, 2020
- The American Heart Association supports public policies, private sector innovation, and public-private partnerships to reduce the adverse impact of air pollution on current and future cardiovascular health for all people living in the United States.
- Consistent and growing scientific evidence shows a causal relationship between exposure to air pollution and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, and that air pollution exposure is a modifiable cardiovascular risk factor.
- Environmental regulations and policies have been successful in improving air quality, but more than 130 million people in the United States still live in counties that were not in compliance with one or more of the federally regulated air quality standards.
- Black and Hispanic people and individuals with low incomes are more likely to be exposed to higher concentrations of air pollution.
- Those most impacted by poor air quality, including Black and Hispanic populations and communities that have historically been under-resourced, should be engaged in the planning, policy development, and budgeting processes for policies that address air quality.
- Transportation and industrial projects should assess community impact to ensure environmental justice and health equity.
- Robust air quality standards are needed in the U.S. and around the globe to reduce the negative health impacts of air pollution.
- Policies should address vehicle emissions, a major contributor to poor air quality, by moving toward zero-emission vehicles, reducing traffic and congestion, and improving active and public transportation.
- Policies also should support renewable energy production, such as renewable portfolio standards, to counter the negative impact of coal and fossil fuels combustion.
- Convincing and growing evidence that air pollution exposure plays a role in the development of cardiovascular diseases requires that healthcare professionals promote policies in the United States to reduce harmful exposures.
Citation
Kaufman JD, Elkind MSV, Bhatnagar A, Koehler K, Balmes JR, Sidney S, Burroughs Pena MS, Dockery DW, Hou L, Brook RD, Laden F, Rajagopalan S, Bishop Kendrick K, Turner JR; on behalf of the American Heart Association Advocacy Coordinating Committee. Guidance to reduce the cardiovascular burden of ambient air pollutants: a policy statement from the American Heart Association [published online ahead of print November 5, 2020]. Circulation. doi: 10.1161/CIR.0000000000000930