Anakwue R C, Anakwue A C
Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Nigeria Enugu Campus, Enugu, Nigeria,
Cardiovasc Toxicol. 2014 Sep;14(3):193-207. doi: 10.1007/s12012-013-9242-y.
Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) cause significant morbidity and mortality in the world. It is known that between 1990 and 2020, the proportion of worldwide deaths from CVD will increase from 28 to 31.5 % and yet the risk factors and etiology are not completely known. WHO has declared that pollution is one of the top 10 causes of death in the world. Environmental pollutants may therefore provide some of the missing/unknown risk factors of CVD. Studies done in USA and Europe have demonstrated that environmental pollutants can cause induction, progression and severity of CVD and increase the morbidity and mortality of traditional CVD risk factors. These toxicants lead to pulmonary and systemic inflammatory responses, arterial vasoconstriction, enhanced coagulation/thrombosis, arrhythmias, atherosclerosis, hypertension and coronary artery disease. There is now considerable evidence that Africa has a significant share of the world's environmental pollution, making it vulnerable to all associated CVDs. This review presents new facts and direction for tackling CVD in Africa. African countries must now take a cue from USA to Europe and consider environmental pollutants as one of the risk factors of CVDs.
心血管疾病（CVDs）在全球范围内导致了严重的发病和死亡情况。众所周知，在1990年至2020年期间，全球因心血管疾病死亡的比例将从28%增至31.5%，但其风险因素和病因尚未完全明确。世界卫生组织已宣布污染是全球十大死因之一。因此，环境污染物可能是心血管疾病一些未知风险因素的来源。在美国和欧洲开展的研究表明，环境污染物可引发心血管疾病的诱发、进展和严重程度，并增加传统心血管疾病风险因素导致的发病率和死亡率。这些有毒物质会引发肺部和全身性炎症反应、动脉血管收缩、凝血/血栓形成增强、心律失常、动脉粥样硬化、高血压和冠状动脉疾病。现在有大量证据表明，非洲在全球环境污染中占相当大的比例，使其易患所有相关的心血管疾病。本综述介绍了应对非洲心血管疾病的新情况和新方向。非洲国家现在必须效仿美国和欧洲，将环境污染物视为心血管疾病的风险因素之一。
