The effect of urban green space and the risk for cardiovascular death in one year period

Background: There is evidence that exposure to green environments is associated with health benefits. The main purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between urban green space (UGS) and cardiovascular death (CVD) during the one-year period after hospital admission. Methods: We used data on 1,008 patients who lived in Kaunas city and were treated for acute coronary syndromes (ACS) at the Clinic of Cardiology during 2004-2005. Patients’ home locations were mapped using the ArcGIS 10 Geographical Information System (GIS), and the data were combined with a comprehensive GIS database of urban green space and main street characteristics. We estimated the distance of the patients’ residence from UGS classified as the distance from the Formal Park and the main street. According to the distance from the residents’ homes to UGS, we determined three patient groups by tertiles. We evaluated the associations between UGS and CVD risk by applying the multivariate logistic regression models. Results: The adjusted odds ratios (95% CI) for CVD in patients residing close to 350 m, within 350-700 m, and further away than 700 m from the park were, respectively, 1, 0.87 (0.41-1.86), and 2.03 (1.04-3.97). We found stronger associations between the distance from home to the park and CVD for men: the adjusted odds ratios were, accordingly, 1, 1.95 (0.66-5.78), and 4.07 (1.5-11.1). Conclusion: The findings suggest that the location of home of over 700 m to the UGS was associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular death in patients after ACS during the one-year period; the risk was higher for men. Keywords: urban green space, cardiovascular death, acute coronary syndromes;