Effects of Climate Change on Cardiovascular diseases

Extremes of air temperature, wildfires, dust storms, flooding and wind storms contribute to:

Ø Direct heat effects on the body, including increased night time blood pressure, sleep loss, and higher plasma LDL.

Ø Elevated levels of air pollutants such as ozone, nitrogen dioxide, and fine particulate matter.

Ø Damage to health infrastructure.

These deleterious effects in turn significantly contribute to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality for CVDs, including:

Ø Increased incidence of myocardial infarction

Ø Cardiac arrhythmias

Ø Stroke-related deaths

Ø Increases in hospital admissions for heart failure