Trees — Not Grass and Other Greenery — Associated With Lower Heart Disease Risk in Cities
January 21, 2026 | Source: UC Davis Health | by Lisa Howard
A multi-institutional study led by the University of California, Davis, finds that living in urban areas with a higher percentage of visible trees is associated with a 4% decrease in cardiovascular disease. By comparison, living in urban areas with a higher percentage of grass was associated with a 6% increase in cardiovascular disease. Likewise, a higher rate of other types of green space, like bushes or shrubs, was associated with a 3% increase in cardiovascular disease.
The new research was published in Environmental Epidemiology.
“Our findings suggest public health interventions should prioritize the preservation and planting of tree canopies in neighborhoods,” said Peter James, first author of the study. James is an associate professor in the UC Davis Department of Public Health Sciences and director of the Center for Occupational and Environmental Health.
“Urban forestry initiatives and policies that protect mature trees are likely to yield greater cardiovascular health benefits compared to investments in grass planting,” James said.