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Review
. 2025 Aug 7;27(1):121.
doi: 10.1007/s11886-025-02277-w.

The Impact of Federal and State Laws on Cardiovascular Risk

Belinda L Needham  1 , Darya A Dokshina  2
Affiliations
Review

The Impact of Federal and State Laws on Cardiovascular Risk

Belinda L Needham et al. Curr Cardiol Rep. .

Abstract

Purpose of review: To summarize recent studies examining the impact of federal and state laws on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk.

Recent findings: We identified 38 relevant studies that were published in the past five years. Results of the narrative review indicate that laws related to structural racism, education, income, healthcare, the food environment, food insecurity, the built environment, transportation, air pollution, tobacco, alcohol, diet, and physical activity may impact CVD risk. Results were most consistent among studies examining laws related to air pollution, tobacco, and alcohol, and least consistent among studies examining laws related to the food environment and food insecurity. Federal and state laws have the potential to shape CVD risk by impacting the social, environmental, and behavioral determinants of health.

Keywords: Cardiovascular disease; Federal and state laws; Legal epidemiology; Narrative review.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Conflict of Interest: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest. Human and Animal Rights and Informed Consent: This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

Figures

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Fig. 1
Social, environmental, and behavioral determinants of cardiovascular risk
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