(U.S. Right To Know) Cardiovascular disease—the world's leading cause of death—is increasingly driven by polluted air, toxic chemicals, plastics, noise, and extreme temperatures, according to a sweeping new review in Cardiovascular Research that calls for stricter environmental regulations to protect public health.

Heart attacks, strokes, arrhythmias, and heart failure killed more than 20 million people in 2021, accounting for nearly one-third of all global deaths. The new analysis by a team of international scientists found increasing evidence that hazardous exposures are a major culprit in millions of these deaths worldwide each year, especially among vulnerable populations.