Understanding linkages between environmental risk factors and noncommunicable diseases-A review

Abstract

Environmental factors such as climate change are now underway, which have substantial impacts on health and well-being of human kind, but still imprecisely quantified, implications for human health. At present, one of the most significant discussions among scientists worldwide is interdependency of escalating environmental risk factors and the increasing rates of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), which are the leading cause of death and disability worldwide. Climate change also triggers the occurrence of NCDs through a variety of direct and indirect pathways. Therefore, it is likely that the interdependence of climate change, environmental risk factors, and NCDs as a whole poses great threat to global health. Hence, this paper aims to review the latest evidence on impacts of environmental risk factors on NCDs and methods used in establishing the cause or correlation of environmental risk factors and NCDs. The literature review leveraged online databases such as PubMed and Google Scholar with articles that matched keywords "climate change", "environmental risk factors," and "noncommunicable diseases". This review shows that the burden of NCDs is increasing globally and attribution of environmental risk factors such as climate change is significant. Understanding the nature of the relation between NCDs and the environment is complex and has relied on evidence generated from multiple study designs. This paper reviews eight types of study designs that can be used to identify and measure causal and correlational nature between environment and NCDs. Future projections suggest that increases in temperatures will continue and also increase the public health burden of NCDs.

Keywords: burden of disease; climate change; deaths; environmental change; environmental epidemiology; noncommunicable diseases.

FIGURE 1

Global Deaths and DALYs attributable to noncommunicable disease burden associated with environmental risk factors. (Source: GBD estimates 2019, IHME)

FIGURE 2

Causal pathways of impacts of environmental and climate change on NCDs