Health Effects of Air Pollution in At-Risk Populations: The Relevance to Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehabilitation

Presented by: Wayne E. Cascio, MD, FACC

Disclosures: None

1.00 AACVPR CEUs

The webinar, released as a recorded webinar in 2024, will provide a description of the Clean Air Act's Criteria Air Pollutants (Particulate Matter, Ozone, Nitrogen oxides, Sulfur oxides, Carbon monoxide, and Lead (Pb)) and show that although air quality in the US has improved substantially over the last five-decades, patients still experience exposure to air pollution that causes mortality, and cardiac and pulmonary adverse health effects. The webinar will primarily describe the health effects of ozone and particulate matter on respiratory and cardiovascular health and clinical events. The description of the clinical and epidemiological associations will be derived largely from the EPA's Integrated Science Assessments of Particulate Matter and Ozone and will highlight those at greatest risk from exposure to air pollutants. The second part of the webinar will offer sources of educational material for health care professionals and patients and describe potential interventions and guidance that could be recommended to patients to lower exposure. The webinar will conclude by describing important knowledge gaps and opportunities for future research.

Learning Objectives: 

1.) Describe the most important adverse cardiopulmonary health consequences of exposure to air pollution.

2.) Describe what clinical sub-populations are at higher risk from exposure to air pollutants and where patients can get up-to-date information about local air quality.

3.) Identify links to the CDC and EPA's environmental health information that can provide further educational development for the practitioner and Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program Staff as well as provide downloadable factsheets and other information that can be shared with at-risk patients.

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