Environmental degradation. An under-recognized secondary risk factor of hypertension.

Abstract

Environmental degradation is an increasingly urgent issue caused by anthropogenic activities, such as urbanization, industrialization, and overpopulation growth, as well as natural disasters, such as flood, typhoons, droughts, and rising temperatures. The most common causes of environmental degradation include air, noise, and light pollution and climate change, also referred as global warming, with extreme weather patterns. Available evidence undoubtedly supports that the aforementioned environmental changes have been recognized as contributing to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The aim of this review was to discuss the impact of various environmental exposures, including air pollutants, noise, and artificial light at night, and changes in ambient temperature and humidity on blood pressure values and the burden of hypertension.