Integrating Remote Sensing with Urban Exposome Analysis for Cardiovascular Health in Germany

The urban exposome—comprising environmental exposures like air pollution, noise, and green space access—significantly impacts cardiovascular diseases (CVD). While remote sensing has emerged as a critical tool for mapping and analyzing urban exposures, its potential remains underutilized within neighborhood-level analyses (e.g. at a 100 m resolution). This paper explores the intersection of the urban exposome and CVD, using remote sensing to bridge knowledge gaps. By highlighting CVD as an exemplary group of diseases, we outline existing global evidence on urban environmental exposures and CVD risk factors, emphasizing gaps in understanding specific pathways. Our focus turns to Germany, where urban infrastructure and health contexts offer unique opportunities and challenges for exposome research. Through a review of German population-based cohort studies, we assess their incorporation of spatial data and identify limitations in linking urban environmental exposures to CVD risk factors. This analysis underscores the need for integrating high-resolution remote sensing data into localized studies, paving the way for tailored public health interventions and urban planning strategies.