A study by McGill University has found that an environmental policy designed to improve air quality also has benefits for cardiovascular health.
McGill researchers have been able to determine that China’s Clean Heating Policy, which was introduced to reduce smog by helping rural households switch from coal to electric or natural gas home heating, has reportedly been lowering blood pressure in adults.
“Environmental policies are rarely evaluated to see if they actually accomplished their goals. Our findings show that this massive policy can improve air quality and also generate measurable health benefits, strengthening the case for investing in cleaner household energy,” said senior author Jill Baumgartner, Professor in McGill’s Department of Equity, Ethics and Policy.
Researchers travelled to rural communities near Beijing and followed over 1,200 adults from 50 villages — 20 of which entered the policy during the study — and measured blood pressure, indoor air pollution and indoor temperature.
From their data, the researchers were able to learn that blood pressure had dropped in adults living in villages that adopted the policy, compared with those in villages that had not yet joined the program.
“Compared with clean cooking, clean heating remains relatively understudied,” said Sternbach. “Our findings and evaluation approach could help guide future energy transition programs in other locations where solid fuel heating remains common.”
For more on the study, click here.
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