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Review
. 2024 Oct 1:19:1629-1639.
doi: 10.2147/CIA.S480054. eCollection 2024.

Impact of Indoor Air Pollutants on the Cardiovascular Health Outcomes of Older Adults: Systematic Review

Nomagugu Ndlovu #  1 , Benedicta Ngwenchi Nkeh-Chungag #  1
Affiliations
Review

Impact of Indoor Air Pollutants on the Cardiovascular Health Outcomes of Older Adults: Systematic Review

Nomagugu Ndlovu et al. Clin Interv Aging. .

Abstract

Indoor air pollution accounts for approximately 3.8 million inopportune deaths annually at global level. Due to spending more time indoors, children and older adults are especially susceptible to the health risks of indoor air pollution. This review seeks to summarise existing knowledge on the cardiovascular health effects of three common indoor air pollutants, namely carbon monoxide (CO), particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), and Nitrogen dioxide (NO2), focusing on older adults. We systematically reviewed the literature (PROSPERO CRD42024479220) on PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, Web of Science and Embase. The search yielded 20,914 records. Two independent reviewers screened the articles using titles, abstracts, and full-length articles written in English. Upon a detailed assessment of all the records, the review considered 38 full-length articles. Several studies reported mortality, myocardial infarction, stroke, increased hospitalisation and increased emergency room visits due to exposure to indoor air pollution. A few studies reported arrhythmias, hypertension and Ischaemic heart disease due to exposure to indoor air pollutants. The increased mortality, morbidity, hospitalization, and emergency rooms visits resulting from indoor air pollution associated CVDs makes indoor air pollution a health risk for older adults. There is, therefore, a need to synthesize information on studies relate d to how the selected indoor air pollutants affected the cardiovascular health of older adults.

Keywords: PM10; PM2.5; hospitalisation; mortality; myocardial infarction; nitrogen dioxide; older adults; particulate matter; stroke.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Study selection process.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Connection between exposure to indoor air pollutants and adverse cardiovascular outcomes in older adults. An illustration of the cardiovascular health impacts of indoor air pollution from the use of biomass and solid fuels for cooking. Pollutants such as particulate matter, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and carbon monoxide are released during combustion and inhaled into the body. These pollutants contribute to cardiovascular conditions, including stroke, ischemic heart disease (IHD), arrhythmia, heart failure, myocardial infarction, and ultimately increased mortality.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Two possible mechanisms by which air pollutants affects the cardiovascular system. 1: PM10 and PM2.5 can penetrate deep into the respiratory system and even enter the bloodstream. Once in the body, they can trigger inflammation. PM-induced inflammation can lead to endothelial dysfunction, oxidative stress, and activation of immune cells. Inflammation plays a crucial role in the development and progression of cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis, hypertension, and heart failure. 2: NO2 can impact the autonomic nervous system, which regulates involuntary bodily functions such as heart rate, blood pressure, and respiratory rate. This imbalance in autonomic tone can contribute to the development of cardiovascular diseases by promoting hypertension, arrhythmias, and myocardial ischemia.
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