Living in areas with lots of pollution and joblessness might make people more likely to get heart disease and even double their chances of having a stroke.
This finding comes from a study shared on Wednesday in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
It says that when places have ongoing problems with both the environment and society, like pollution and not enough jobs, these issues can make heart health worse.
And problems with the environment by themselves are a big part of the problem.
Dr. Sarju Ganatra, a heart doctor, played a leading role in this research. He works at Lahey Hospital and Medical Center in Massachusetts, where he focuses on heart health, especially how it relates to cancer treatment and the health concerns of South Asian communities.
Dr. Ganatra and his team are among the first to look at how social issues, like being out of work or not having good access to the internet, combine with environmental problems, like dirty air or noisy highways, to affect heart health.
They were especially interested in seeing how much of an impact the environment has by itself, apart from these social issues.
The study looked at different kinds of environmental problems, such as pollution in the air and water, dangerous waste sites, not enough parks, busy roads, and the noise from trains and planes.
It also considered social issues, including being part of a racial or ethnic minority group, having low income or education, not having a stable job, living conditions, and how easy it is to use the internet and get healthcare.
The results showed that people living in the areas most affected by these problems were much more likely to have heart diseases and strokes than those in less troubled areas.
Even when taking into account people’s social and economic situations, the environmental problems alone significantly increased the risk of heart disease and other health issues like Type 2 diabetes, chronic kidney disease, high blood pressure, and obesity.
Dr. Ganatra found it striking how closely linked and complex the relationship between social and environmental factors is when it comes to health.
Even more surprising was how environmental factors still played a big role in health outcomes after considering social and economic conditions.
In the places most affected by these issues, there were more Black and Hispanic adults compared to areas with fewer problems. To tackle the negative effects of living in such neighborhoods, the researchers suggest a broad strategy.
This would include reducing air pollution and creating policies to improve poor areas, boost public education, create jobs, provide affordable housing, and make good healthcare more accessible.
Dr. Ganatra hopes this research will help healthcare professionals better understand and talk to their patients about the environmental risks they face every day.
This way, patients can learn how to avoid harmful conditions, like being exposed to dangerous chemicals and air pollution, to protect their health.
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The research findings can be found in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
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