PMCardImpact – Avaliação da carga de doença e do impacto económico das doenças cardiovasculares em Portugal atribuídas à exposição a PM2.5 / PMCardImpact – The health and economic impact of PM2.5-related cardiovascular diseases in Portugal
Pollution is the worldwide largest environmental cause of disease and premature death, being considered costly, with attributable diseases resulting in health-care costs. The cardiovascular diseases (CVD), namely ischemic heart disease and stroke, and air pollution are associated, with the American Heart Association suggesting the existing evidence of a causal relationship between exposure to particulate matter (PM2.5) and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.
Under this context and considering that data available until now in Portugal does not include a comprehensive analysis regarding the burden of disease and the economic impact of pollution, the PMCardImpact project aims to achieve the following objectives:
- Assess the risk associated with exposure of Portuguese population to PM2.5 through review of available studies and environmental monitoring data;
- Estimate the burden of disease of PM2.5-related CVD in Portugal;
- Estimate the economic impact of PM2.5-related CVD in Portugal;
- Identify the areas for more cost-effective public health and environmental interventions.
To accomplish these objectives and activities, a multidisciplinary team, supported by two scientific consultants, is gathered including researchers with expertise in public health, environmental health, epidemiology, risk assessment, burden of disease, health economic evaluation and cardiology.
With a view to promote the science to policy interface, PMCardImpact project will make available to policy makers the needed supporting information to act, including actionable knowledge on air pollution trends, related health effects and estimated costs, to implement reducing air pollution policies.
