Air Pollution and Temperature: a Systematic Review of Ubiquitous Environmental Exposures and Sudden Cardiac Death

William Borchert^{1

2

3}, Stephanie T Grady⁴, Jie Chen^{5

6}, Nicole V DeVille^{6

7

8}, Charlotte Roscoe^{5

6}, Futu Chen^{5

9}, Carol Mita¹⁰, Isabel Holland^{5

6}, Grete E Wilt^{5

9

6}, Cindy R Hu^{5

9

6}, Unnati Mehta^{5

9

6}, Rachel C Nethery¹¹, Christine M Albert^{12

13}, Francine Laden^{5

6

7}, Jaime E Hart^{5

6}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Environmental Health, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, Building 1, Room 1301, Boston, MA, 02115, USA. wborchert@g.harvard.edu.
² Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Cambridge, MA, USA. wborchert@g.harvard.edu.
³ Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. wborchert@g.harvard.edu.
⁴ Department of Environmental Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
⁵ Department of Environmental Health, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, Building 1, Room 1301, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
⁶ Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
⁷ Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
⁸ Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV, USA.
⁹ Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Cambridge, MA, USA.
¹⁰ Countway Library, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
¹¹ Department of Biostatistics, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
¹² Department of Cardiology, Smidt Heart Institute, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
¹³ Division of Preventative Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.

PMID: 37845484
PMCID: PMC11016309
DOI: 10.1007/s40572-023-00414-7

Air Pollution and Temperature: a Systematic Review of Ubiquitous Environmental Exposures and Sudden Cardiac Death

William Borchert et al. Curr Environ Health Rep. 2023 Dec.

. 2023 Dec;10(4):490-500.

doi: 10.1007/s40572-023-00414-7. Epub 2023 Oct 17.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Environmental Health, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, Building 1, Room 1301, Boston, MA, 02115, USA. wborchert@g.harvard.edu.
² Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Cambridge, MA, USA. wborchert@g.harvard.edu.
³ Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. wborchert@g.harvard.edu.
⁴ Department of Environmental Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
⁵ Department of Environmental Health, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, Building 1, Room 1301, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
⁶ Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
⁷ Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
⁸ Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV, USA.
⁹ Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Cambridge, MA, USA.
¹⁰ Countway Library, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
¹¹ Department of Biostatistics, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
¹² Department of Cardiology, Smidt Heart Institute, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
¹³ Division of Preventative Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.

PMID: 37845484
PMCID: PMC11016309
DOI: 10.1007/s40572-023-00414-7

Abstract

Purpose of review: Environmental exposures have been associated with increased risk of cardiovascular mortality and acute coronary events, but their relationship with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) and sudden cardiac death (SCD) remains unclear. SCD is an important contributor to the global burden of cardiovascular disease worldwide.

Recent findings: Current literature suggests a relationship between environmental exposures and cardiovascular disease, but their relationship with OHCA/SCD remains unclear. A literature search was conducted in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Global Health. Of 5138 studies identified by our literature search, this review included 30 studies on air pollution, 42 studies on temperature, 6 studies on both air pollution and temperature, and 1 study on altitude exposure and OHCA/SCD. Particulate matter air pollution, ozone, and both hot and cold temperatures are associated with increased risk of OHCA/SCD. Pollution and other exposures related to climate change play an important role in OHCA/SCD incidence.

Keywords: Air pollution; Cardiac arrest; Climate change; Sudden cardiac death; Temperature.

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Conflict of interest statement

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Competing Interests

The authors have no competing interests to declare that are relevant to the content of this article.

Figures

**Figure 1**
PRISMA [19] flowchart detailing the studies included in the systematic review at abstract, full text, and extraction phases to assess the relationship between exposure to air pollution, temperature, or altitude on out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and sudden death.

See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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Air Pollution and Temperature: a Systematic Review of Ubiquitous Environmental Exposures and Sudden Cardiac Death

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Air Pollution and Temperature: a Systematic Review of Ubiquitous Environmental Exposures and Sudden Cardiac Death

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