Compound Exposure to Extreme Heat and Substantial Landscape Fire-Sourced Air Pollution on Cardiovascular Mortality

The authors aimed to investigate whether combined exposure to extreme heat and substantial fire-sourced air pollution increases the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality beyond the risks associated with each hazard individually. Their multicountry study found that this compound exposure was linked to an 11.5% increase in cardiovascular mortality, with particularly significant effects observed for heart failure. The results suggest that treating these environmental hazards as independent may lead to an underestimation of their combined impact on short-term cardiovascular health.