Abstract

Introduction: Researchers expect climate change to alter human health in important ways, with significant regional variations. This change has the potential to affect human health in many ways. Aim: To systematically review relevant literature in relation to the effect of climatic variables on cardiopulmonary function as an emerging health challenge. Materials and Methods: The present systematic review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The key words "environment", "weather", "chronic obstructive pulmonary disease", climate change" were used in combination with the Boolean operators "OR" and "AND". We did electronic searches on PubMed, Science Direct, Springer Link and Google Scholar. The search was conducted with publication year limitation between January 2006 to June 2016. Results: A total of 1021 articles were extracted and 13 articles were selected for final review, based on the objective of the study. Results suggested that climate changes are not only an environmental and economic problem but also play a role in population health. Climate change parameters like temperature, humidity and air pollution can affect cardiopulmonary health. Conclusion: The study shows the effect of climate change on cardiopulmonary health, and identifies it as an emerging phenomenon that needs effective planning for emerging and re-emerging concerns.