Built environment, and early cardiovascular disease closely interrelated: Dr Sushil

Jammu, Aug 18: Dr. Sushil Sharma, Head of the Department of Cardiology at Government Medical College Hospital (GMCH) Jammu, conducted a cardiac awareness and health check-up camp at Gurudwara Shri Guru Singh Sabha, Basti Govindpura, Simbal Morh, Jammu. The event aimed to educate the public on the impact of the built environment on cardiovascular health.
Dr. Sushil emphasized the strong connection between the built environment—comprising transportation systems, land-use patterns, and design features—and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. He explained that the environment people live in significantly affects their overall health and life expectancy. Highlighting the concept of the “exposome,” he discussed how continuous exposure to various environmental factors throughout life contributes to health outcomes, particularly cardiovascular disease (CVD).
He identified two main pathways by which the built environment influences cardiovascular health. The first is through active exposure, where individuals engage with their environment, such as through walkability, which includes elements like sidewalks, connected streets, and proximity to key destinations that promote a more active lifestyle. The second pathway is passive exposure, which includes factors like air pollution, residential noise, and ambient temperature that individuals encounter simply by existing in their environment.
Dr. Sushil pointed out that while some environmental factors’ roles in early cardiovascular disease have been studied, the broader relationship between the built environment and CVD remains underexplored. He called for a life-course approach to identifying periods of susceptibility to environmental factors, emphasizing the need for multilevel interventions to address both environmental and social determinants of cardiovascular health.
The management committee of Gurudwara Singh Sabha, including Jodh Singh, Inderpreet Singh, Manjeet Singh, Tejinder Singh, Anmolak Singh, Gurdev Singh, Sandeep Singh, and Gurdeep Singh, commended Dr. Sushil and his team for their efforts in raising awareness and providing healthcare services in their community.
The camp also saw participation from Dr. Venkatesh Yellupu and Dr. Dhaneshwer Kapoor, along with paramedics and volunteers including Ranjeet Singh, Amnish Dutta, Gourav Sharma, Maninder Singh, Rohit Nayyar, Rajinder Singh, Rahul Vaid, Mukesh Kumar, Vikas Kumar, and Nirvair Singh Bali.