Environmental and

Occupational Health:

Cardiovascular Health

What is Public Health?Public Health is about what makes us sick, what keeps us

healthy, and what we can do TOGETHER about it.

(Richard Riegelman)

Environmental Health- the sector of public health that

focuses on the prevention and control of disease, injury,

and disability related to the intersections between people

and their environment.

Environmental Health in Public

Health

● Monitoring

● Inform, educate,

and empower

● Research

● Enforce

EOH and CVD: Risk Factors

Risk Factorso Particulate matters

o Water quality

o Diet

o Smoking

o Occupational risks

o Toxins

Particulate matter● Extremely small particles (<10 micrometers in

diameter)

● Sources

o construction sites

o unpaved roads

o fields

o smokestacks

o fires

o industry

o automobiles

o power plants

● CVD risk

● Regulatory standards

Water Quality ● Minor risk factor for heart

disease○ “Hard” water contains higher levels of

calcium and magnesium. Both

naturally preserve heart health.

○ The average American does not

consume adequate amounts of

magnesium.

○ Magnesium disparity found in racial

and ethnic minorities and populations

with lower SES.

Diet- Major risk factor for

cardiovascular disease

- Saturated and trans fats

- Sodium

- Cholesterol

- Sugars

- Environmental factors

- Geographic location

- Socioeconomic status

- Cultural and social factors

Smoking

● The effect of smoking on CVDo lipids, angina, MI, HTN, arrhythmias

● The effect of secondhand smoke on CVDo atherosclerosis (CAD), ↑ blood viscosity,

vascular disease

● Safe levels of secondhand smoke?

● Other complicationso lung cancer, SIDS, stroke

Occupation Related Risks for CVD● Second hand smoke

● Work-related stress

● Insomnia/lack of sleep

● Shift Work

● Fatigue (burnout)

● Sedentary jobs

● Noise

● Heavy lifting

● Lack of time off for physical activity

● Carbon monoxide and carbon disulfide exposure - associated with

heart disease mortality.

● Nitroglycerin exposure

Toxins ● Nitroglycerine

o Death occurred after withdrawal from

exposure

o Varied by age groups

● Cocaineo Irreversible structural damage to the

heart

o Sudden cardiac death

o Accelerate CVD

Conclusion

● Many risks factors for CVD can be attributed to

Environmental and Occupational Health

● Each risk factors has its own pathway that

contribute to CVD

● Need to target each risk factors separately by

specific intervention methods.

● EPA, OSHA, and NIOHSH need to emphasize more

on risk factors that induce CVD

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