Climate Changes and Human Health: A Review of the Effect of Environmental Stressors on Cardiovascular Diseases Across Epidemiology and Biological Mechanisms.
Climate change is rapidly affecting all the regions of our planet. The most relevant example is global warming, which impacts on the earth's ecosystems, threatening human health. Other effects include extreme variations in temperature and increases in air pollution. These events may negatively impact mortality and morbidity for cardiovascular diseases.



In this review, we discuss the main effects of climate changes on cardiovascular diseases, reporting the epidemiological evidences and the biological mechanisms linking climate change consequences to hypertension, diabetes, ischemic heart diseases, heart failure and stroke.



Up to now, findings suggest that humans acclimate under different weather conditions, even though extreme temperatures and higher levels of air pollution can influence health-related outcomes. In these cases, climate change adversely affects cardiovascular system and the high-risk subjects for cardiovascular diseases are those more exposed.



Finally, we examine climate change implications on publich health and suggest adaptation strategies to monitor the high-risk population, and reduce the amount of hospital admissions associated to these events. Such interventions may minimize the costs of public health and reduce the mortality for cardiovascular diseases.
University of L'Aquila, Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences - San Salvatore Hospital, Delta 6 Building - V.le San Salvatore, Coppito (L'Aquila), 67100. Italy.
Paolo
P
Giorgini
Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, Division of Internal Medicine and Nephrology, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila. Italy.
Paolo
P
Di Giosia
Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, Division of Internal Medicine and Nephrology, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila. Italy.
Marco
M
Petrarca
Emergency Department, Madonna del Soccorso Hospital, San Benedetto del Tronto. Italy.
Francesco
F
Lattanzio
Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, Division of Internal Medicine and Nephrology, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila. Italy.
Cosimo Andrea
CA
Stamerra
Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, Division of Internal Medicine and Nephrology, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila. Italy.
Claudio
C
Ferri
D000397:Air Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism; D057231:Climate Change; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000074382:Greenhouse Gases / Q000009:adverse effects; D006358:Hot Temperature / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D011634:Public Health / Q000639:trends
D000074382:Greenhouse Gases
Climate change; air pollution; cardiovascular risk; epidemiology; global warming; ozone.; particulate matter; public health; temperature