By Amber Roman
Aug 31, 2024, 11:00 AM EDT
The University of Louisville has revealed that a significant presence of trees and shrubs in neighborhoods can have a direct impact on the health of their inhabitants.
The Green Heart Project, led by the Christina Lee Brown Environmental Institute in collaboration with The Nature Conservancy and other organizations, has shown that people who live in areas with a higher density of vegetation experience lower levels of inflammation, a key marker associated with chronic diseases such as heart disease.
The study was presented Aug. 26 in Santiago, Chile, during the 36th Annual Conference of the International Society for Environmental Epidemiology by Daniel Riggs, assistant professor of environmental medicine at UofL.
Their approach has been an experimental design similar to clinical trials, where the effects of adding greenery in certain neighborhoods were compared to those where no plantings were carried out. This allowed researchers to accurately assess how the green environment impacts the health of residents.
In 2018, the Envirome Institute launched this pioneering initiative, the first of its kind, to investigate whether urban vegetation could influence cardiovascular health. The project took place in a four-square-mile area in south Louisville, where researchers collected initial health data from 745 residents.including blood, urine, hair and nail samples. Detailed measurements of tree cover and air pollution levels were also carried out.
The intervention phase of the project involved the planting of more than 8,000 trees and large shrubs in selected neighborhoods, in collaboration with local partners. The health outcomes of residents in these areas were then compared to those living in neighborhoods without new plantings.
Living near trees reduces inflammation
It was shown that Those living in green areas showed a 13 to 20% decrease in levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), a biomarker of general inflammation. This marker is crucial, as elevated levels of hsCRP are linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and certain types of cancer.
The impact of this reduction in inflammation is significant, corresponding to a 10-15% decrease in the risk of heart attacks, cancer or death from any disease. This discovery underlines the importance of urban green spaces not only for their aesthetic value but for their direct contribution to public health.
Aruni Bhatnagar, director of the Envirome Institute and a professor of medicine at UofL, noted that this is the first study to show that deliberately increasing a neighborhood’s greenery can improve the health of its residents.
Although previous studies had suggested a relationship between vegetation and health, this project provides clear evidence that Trees can play a crucial role in reducing the risk of chronic diseases.
UofL President Kim Schatzel also praised the project as an example of the positive impact collaborative research can have on the local community and beyond. As more results from the Green Heart Project continue to be published, the argument is reinforced that increasing vegetation cover in cities could be an effective strategy to improve public health on a large scale.
With this new support, the connection between planetary health and human health becomes more evident, and initiatives to increase urban vegetation could become a priority in planning healthy cities.
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