How Climate Change and Pollution Impact the Heart

In this episode of the Sustainable Ambassador Podcast, I sit down with Professor Mark Miller of the University of Edinburgh to explore how climate change and pollution impact the heart — and what really happens inside the body when we’re exposed to environmental stress. From air pollution to rising temperatures, we unpack how a warming world is placing measurable strain on the cardiovascular system.For decades, we’ve known polluted air damages the lungs. But Mark’s research shows something deeper and more systemic: even short-term exposure to diesel exhaust can stiffen blood vessels, elevate blood pressure, and disrupt heart rhythms — effects that resemble years of accumulated cardiovascular stress. As climate change increases heatwaves and alters pollution patterns, these stressors don’t act alone. They interact. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.