Planetary Health and Cardiovascular Disease Prevention: An Emerging Paradigm in Preventive Medicine

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remain the leading global cause of mortality, whereas climate change and environmental degradation pose unprecedented threats to human health. This narrative review synthesizes current evidence linking environmental factors to CVD risk and explores sustainable interventions that benefit both planetary and cardiovascular health. A comprehensive literature search was conducted across PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases (2014-2024) using keywords including “planetary health,” “cardiovascular disease,” “climate change,” “environmental determinants,” and “sustainable healthcare.” Following screening of 847 records, 156 studies examining the relationship between environmental exposures and CVD outcomes, as well as interventions with cobenefits for climate mitigation and cardiovascular prevention, were included through narrative synthesis and thematic analysis. Evidence demonstrates that air pollution, extreme heat events, unsustainable food systems, and car-dependent urban design significantly contribute to CVD burden. PM2.5 exposure increases coronary heart disease risk by 21% per 10 μg/m 3 , whereas each 1°C temperature increase above optimum raises cardiovascular mortality by 2.1%. Conversely, plant-based diets reduce CVD risk by 25%–40% while cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 54%. Active transportation and green space exposure provide substantial cardiovascular benefits alongside emission reductions. The convergence of planetary health and CVD prevention represents a critical paradigm shift requiring integrated approaches across clinical practice, policy, and community interventions. Traditional cardiovascular prevention strategies must evolve to incorporate planetary health principles, recognizing that human cardiovascular health is inextricably linked to environmental sustainability and ecological integrity.