Environmental risk factors and cardiovascular health.
Massimo, P., Franz, W., Victor, A., Ana, A., Jovanovic, A.Z., Jordi, B., Michele, C., Elisabetta, C., Serenella, C., Andreas, D., Francesco, F., Sofie, G., Gianluigi, G., Omar, H., Barbara, H., Lukasz, K., Jos, L., Mannuccio, M.P., Hugh, M., . . . Thomas, M. (2026). Environmental risk factors and cardiovascular health.. Eur Heart J. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehag270
Massimo P, Franz W, Victor A, Ana A, Jovanovic AZ, Jordi B, et al. Environmental risk factors and cardiovascular health.. Eur Heart J. 2026; doi: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehag270
Massimo P, Franz W, Victor A, et al. Environmental risk factors and cardiovascular health.[J]. Eur Heart J. 2026. DOI: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehag270.
@article{massimo2026,
author = {Piepoli Massimo and Weidinger Franz and Aboyans Victor and Abreu Ana and Andersen Zorana Jovanovic and Baneras Jordi and Carugno Michele and Cerbai Elisabetta and Castelvecchio Serenella and Daiber Andreas and Forastiere Francesco and Gevaert Sofie and Guida Gianluigi and Hahad Omar and Hoffmann Barbara and Kuzma Lukasz and Lelieveld Jos and Mannucci Pier Mannuccio and Montgomery Hugh and Newby David E and Nieuwenhuijsen Mark and Papadakis Michael and Parati Gianfranco and Renzi Matteo and Röösli Martin and Schnabel Renate B and van Laake Linda W and Van Linthout Sophie and Sørensen Mette and Stafoggia Massimo and Traykov Vassil and Vaartjes Ilonca and Lüscher Thomas and Miller Mark R and Münzel Thomas},
title = {Environmental risk factors and cardiovascular health.},
journal = {Eur Heart J},
year = {2026},
doi = {10.1093/eurheartj/ehag270},
note = {PMID: 42095252},
}
TY - JOUR AU - Piepoli Massimo AU - Weidinger Franz AU - Aboyans Victor AU - Abreu Ana AU - Andersen Zorana Jovanovic AU - Baneras Jordi AU - Carugno Michele AU - Cerbai Elisabetta AU - Castelvecchio Serenella AU - Daiber Andreas AU - Forastiere Francesco AU - Gevaert Sofie AU - Guida Gianluigi AU - Hahad Omar AU - Hoffmann Barbara AU - Kuzma Lukasz AU - Lelieveld Jos AU - Mannucci Pier Mannuccio AU - Montgomery Hugh AU - Newby David E AU - Nieuwenhuijsen Mark AU - Papadakis Michael AU - Parati Gianfranco AU - Renzi Matteo AU - Röösli Martin AU - Schnabel Renate B AU - van Laake Linda W AU - Van Linthout Sophie AU - Sørensen Mette AU - Stafoggia Massimo AU - Traykov Vassil AU - Vaartjes Ilonca AU - Lüscher Thomas AU - Miller Mark R AU - Münzel Thomas TI - Environmental risk factors and cardiovascular health. T2 - Eur Heart J PY - 2026 DO - 10.1093/eurheartj/ehag270 AN - PMID:42095252 ER -
Environmental risk factors-air pollution, noise, heat, chemical contamination, and light pollution-are increasingly recognized as key contributors to cardiovascular disease but remain underrepresented in clinical guidelines and public health strategies. This comprehensive review, developed under the auspices of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC), synthesizes current evidence on the cardiovascular consequences of environmental exposures. Building on prior ESC recommendations on air pollution, the consensus statement extends the focus to include climate change, urban heat islands, chemical pollutants, noise, and light pollution, highlighting their shared pathophysiological mechanisms: oxidative stress, inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, and circadian disruption. Epidemiological and experimental studies confirm that these exposures exacerbate the incidence of coronary artery disease, stroke, heart failure, arrhythmias, and hypertension-even at levels below existing regulatory thresholds. It is proposed the exposome framework as a conceptual tool to understand the cumulative lifetime impact of environmental hazards on cardiovascular health. Special attention is given to vulnerable populations, including children, the elderly, socioeconomically disadvantaged groups, and patients with pre-existing cardiovascular disease. The document outlines urgent research needs, such as the need for high-resolution exposure data, exploration of gene-environment interactions and molecular pathways, and the development of real-world and mechanistic studies assessing interventions. Mitigation strategies are discussed across individual, clinical, and policy levels, with a call for heart-healthy urban design, stricter emissions legislation, and equitable access to clean environments. Cardiologists are uniquely positioned to advocate for environmental cardiovascular health, bridging the gap between science, clinical care, and policy. This statement aims to accelerate that translation by raising awareness and promoting action across disciplines.