Abstract
Climate change is increasingly recognized as a significant public health challenge. It poses a risk to many areas of medicine, with profound evidence for its threat against cardiovascular health. In this study we investigate both the cause and effect of these threats and suggest changes healthcare and society can initiate to counteract them. Our methodology involves a comprehensive literature review of select papers chosen from relevance to our topic, key words, language published and date released. The findings demonstrate that while a gradual increase in global temperatures is associated with a rise in cardiovascular mortality, the growing frequency of extreme weather events, such as short, intense heatwaves, has a much more significant impact. Additionally, exposure to air pollutants such as carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide is linked to an increased prevalence of respiratory disease, which in turn significantly increases both cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. There are actions which healthcare systems and wider society can take to account for this imminent threat. Some of those we propose include committing to switch to more environmentally friendly medications, implementing more ‘green’ transport options for patients and encouraging intuitive health. In conclusion, climate change threatens to exacerbate the already challenging burden of cardiovascular disease. It is imperative that both healthcare providers and society as a whole implement the necessary adaptations that can mitigate this risk. If not we aren’t going to kill the earth. We are going to change the earth to kill us.
Presenters
Lucy Cooke DaviesStudent, Bachelors of Medicine and Surgery, Anglia Ruskin University, Essex, United Kingdom Zoya Arif
Student, MBChB, Anglia Ruskin University, Essex, United Kingdom Samuel Odlin
Student, MBChB (Student), Anglia Ruskin University, Essex, United Kingdom
Details
Presentation Type
Theme
Human Impacts and Responsibility
KEYWORDS
Climate Change, Cardiovascular Health, Public Health, Global Warming, Cardiovascular Mortality
