Patient awareness of the risks for heart disease posed by air pollution

The purpose of this study was to assess patient awareness of the coronary heart disease (CHD) risks posed by air pollution.

We distributed a questionnaire to 500 patients at a University of Michigan cardiology clinic.

More than half of patients (n = 264, 53%) did not believe that air pollution was "proven" or "likely" to cause CHD, whereas a similar percentage (n = 284, 57%) were not previously aware of its association with CHD. Most patients (n = 459, 92%) reported that a health care provider had not informed them of the potential CHD risks posed by air pollution nor discussed ways to lower their exposure (n = 471, 94%).

Patients were mostly unaware of the CHD risks posed by air pollution. These findings suggest that a serious knowledge gap exists among at-risk patients regarding this important CHD risk factor and support the need for educational efforts targeting patients and health care providers alike.