Built Environment and Cardiovascular Diseases - Insights from a Global Review

Area of Science:

• Environmental Health
• Cardiovascular Medicine
• Urban Planning

Background:

• Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are a major global health concern.
• The built environment significantly influences population health outcomes.
• Understanding the interplay between urban design and CVD is crucial for public health interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize global literature on the relationship between cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and various components of the built environment.
• To examine how factors like green spaces, walkability, food environment, accessibility, and pollution impact CVD.
• To identify research gaps and health disparities related to the built environment and CVD.

Main Methods:

• Narrative review of global scientific literature.
• Synthesis of findings on built environment components and their association with CVD.
• Analysis of differential effects across socioeconomic strata.

Main Results:

• Increased green space and neighborhood walkability correlate with reduced CVD mortality and morbidity.
• Air pollution emerges as a significant environmental risk factor for CVD, with disproportionate impacts on low socioeconomic status (SES) populations and women.
• Evidence linking food environment to CVD is inconsistent; the overall relationship between the built environment and CVD risk is multifactorial and complex.

Conclusions:

• The built environment plays a complex, multifactorial role in cardiovascular disease risk and outcomes.
• Socioeconomic status and demographic factors mediate the health benefits of built environment features.
• Further research is needed to deepen understanding and address health disparities in the built environment-CVD relationship.