Neighborhood Environmental Burden and Cardiovascular Health in the US

Area of Science:

• Environmental Health
• Cardiovascular Epidemiology
• Social Determinants of Health

Background:

• Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading cause of mortality in the US.
• The link between cumulative environmental burden and CVD across diverse US neighborhoods remains understudied.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between neighborhood-level environmental burden and the prevalence of CVD risk factors and diseases.
• To examine these associations across different levels of social vulnerability.

Main Methods:

• A national cross-sectional study utilized data from 71,659 US Census tracts.
• Environmental Burden Index (EBI) and social vulnerability indices were linked with the 2020 CDC PLACES dataset.
• Prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, obesity, coronary heart disease, and stroke were analyzed in relation to EBI quartiles.

Main Results:

• Neighborhoods with the highest EBI exhibited higher rates of hypertension, diabetes, obesity, coronary heart disease, and stroke compared to those with the lowest EBI.
• These associations were most pronounced in socially vulnerable neighborhoods.
• Geospatial matching and covariate adjustments confirmed the findings.

Conclusions:

• Cumulative environmental burden is associated with increased cardiovascular risk factors and diseases in US neighborhoods.
• Socially vulnerable populations experience the most significant impact.
• Further prospective research is needed to confirm if environmental improvement initiatives enhance cardiovascular health.