April 01, 2021
The vast majority of experts who write and review some of the major clinical guidelines issued by the European Society of Cardiology (ESC), including those for ischemic heart disease, valvular heart disease, atrial fibrillation, and heart failure, have financial conflicts of interest, according to a new analysis.
These entanglements, whether or not they affect the final product, could raise doubts among clinicians and patients that undermine the guidelines’ message, sources told TCTMD.
Breaking down the type of conflicts seen across the different ESC documents, receipt of a direct personal payment, either for industry-funded talks, consulting work, or payments for serving on an advisory board, a committee, or as a clinical investigator, largely outpaced payments made directly to the hospital or money for research funding.
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Air pollution is a key risk factor for cardiovascular disease, and a major contributor to the global burden of disease. Long-term exposure to air pollution has also been linked to an increased risk of death from COVID-19. This dangerous triple threat of air pollution, COVID-19 and cardiovascular disease should be taken seriously, warn major health authorities.
Four leading cardiovascular organizations - the World Heart Federation (WHF), American College of Cardiology (ACC), American Heart Association (AHA) and European Society of Cardiology (ESC) - today released a joint statement urging the medical community and health authorities to mitigate the impact of air pollution on people s health.
Some are visible, such as dust, whereas others cannot be seen by the naked eye.
Materials such as metals, microplastics, soil and chemicals can be in particulate matter.
Particulate matter (or PM) is described in micrometres. The two main ones mentioned in reports and studies are PM10 (less than 10 micrometres) and PM2.5 (less than 2.5 micrometres).
Air pollution comes from burning fossil fuels, cars, cement making and agriculture
Scientists measure the rate of particulates in the air by cubic metre.
Particulate matter is sent into the air by a number of processes including burning fossil fuels, driving cars and steel making.