Extreme Weather Events, Air Pollution, and Cardiovascular Health: Mechanisms and Challenges

Extreme weather events and air pollution are becoming increasingly frequent and severe, posing complex challenges to human health. Although the adverse effects of these environmental stressors on cardiovascular disease are widely acknowledged, the underlying mechanisms remain incompletely understood. This review examines these mechanisms from a physiological perspective, considering both pathways that act directly on the heart and those mediated through non-cardiac organs. Airborne particulate pollutants from dust storms, wildfires, and haze days can pass through the respiratory system and reach the heart, resulting in cardiac injury. Meanwhile, extreme weather events, including heatwaves, cold spells, hurricanes, and even earthquakes, can increase cardiovascular disease risk by affecting traditional risk factors, autonomic nervous system responses, oxidative stress, inflammation, coagulation disturbances, and behavioral factors. Hence, by providing a comprehensive overview, this review aims to enhance our understanding of the cardiovascular risks associated with climate hazards.