Air Pollution Linked to Depression, Heart Disease in Middle-Aged Adults

Air pollution is linked to stress and depression. As a result, it puts middle-aged adults at risk of dying from cardiovascular disease, according to a study presented today at European Society of Cardiology Preventive Cardiology 2024, the annual congress of the European Association of Preventive Cardiology.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution was linked to the premature deaths of 4.2 million people worldwide in 2019. Mental illness is also associated with premature death. Therefore, researchers of this study sought to evaluate the association between air pollution, poor mental health, and death from cardiovascular disease.

The study assessed fine inhalable particles, or PM2.5, which come from vehicle exhaust fumes, power plant combustion, and burning wood. They present the highest risk to health.

Researchers obtained county-level data on annual PM2.5 levels from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and categorized them as high or low according to WHO standards. Subsequently, they collated data on the average number of days that county residents experienced mental health issues (stress, depression, and emotional problems).

Overall, the study included 3047 US counties, representing 315,720,938 residents in 2013. Residents were between 20 and 64 years of age, and 50% were female. The analysis showed that between 2013 and 2019, around 1,079,656 participants died from cardiovascular disease before 65 years of age. Participants in counties with high PM2.5 concentrations were 10% more likely to report high levels of poor mental health days compared with those in counties with low PM2.5 concentrations. The researchers noted that the risk was markedly higher in counties with a high prevalence of minority groups or poverty.

“Our study indicates that the air we breathe affects our mental well-being, which in turn impacts heart health,” said lead study author Dr. Shady Abohashem, of Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts, via a press release. He added that the results “reveal a dual threat from air pollution: it not only worsens mental health but also significantly amplifies the risk of heart-related deaths associated with poor mental health.”

The study’s findings point to the urgent need for public health strategies to address air quality and mental health in order to preserve cardiovascular health.