Air pollution is the fourth greatest overall risk factor for human health. Despite declining levels in Europe, air pollution still represents a major health and economic burden. We collected data from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019 regarding overall, as well as ischemic heart disease (IHD), stroke, and tracheal, bronchus and lung cancer-specific disability adjusted life years (DALYs), years of life lost (YLL) and mortality attributable to air pollution for 43 European countries between 1990 and 2019. Concentrations of ambient particulate matter (aPM_2.5), ozone, and household air pollution from solid fuels were obtained from State of Global Air 2020. We analysed changes in air pollution parameters, as well as DALYs, YLL, and mortality related to air pollution, also taking into account gross national income (GNI) and socio-demographic index (SDI). Using a novel calculation, aPM_2.5 ratio (PMR) change and DALY rate ratio (DARR) change were used to assess each country’s ability to decrease its aPM_2.5 pollution and DALYs to at least the extent of the European median decrease within the analysed period. Finally, we created a multiple regression model for reliably predicting YLL using aPM_2.5 and household air pollution. The average annual population-weighted aPM_2.5 exposure in Europe in 1990 was 20.8 μg/m³ (95% confidence interval (CI) 18.3–23.2), while in 2019 it was 33.7% lower at 13.8 μg/m³ (95% CI 12.0–15.6). There were in total 368 006 estimated deaths in Europe in 2019 attributable to air pollution, a 42.4% decrease compared to 639 052 in 1990. The majority (90.4%) of all deaths were associated with aPM_2.5. IHD was the primary cause of death making up 44.6% of all deaths attributable to air pollution. The age-standardised DALY rate and YLL rate attributable to air pollution were more than 60% lower in 2019 compared to 1990. There was a strong positive correlation (r = 0.911) between YLL rate and aPM_2.5 pollution in 2019 in Europe. Our multiple regression model predicts that for 10% increase in aPM_2.5, YLL increases by 16.7%. Furthermore, 26 of 43 European countries had a positive DARR change. 31 of 43 European countries had a negative PMR change, thus not keeping up with the European median aPM_2.5 concentration decrease. When categorising countries by SDI and GNI, countries in the higher brackets had significantly lower aPM_2.5 concentration and DALY rate for IHD and stroke. Overall, air pollution levels, air pollution-related morbidity and mortality have decreased considerably in Europe in the last three decades. However, with the growing European population, air pollution remains an important public health and economic issue. Policies targeting air pollution reduction should continue to be strongly enforced to further reduce one of the greatest risk factors for human health.

This review aims to provide a comprehensive framework for implementing precision sports medicine, integrating genetics, pharmacogenomics, digital health solutions, and multi-omics data. Literature review was conducted using MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases (January 2018–April 2024), focusing on precision medicine applications in sports medicine, utilizing key terms including “precision medicine”, “sports medicine”, “genetics”, and “multi-omics”, with forward and backward citation tracking. The review identified key gene variants affecting athletic performance: endurance (AMPD1, PPARGC1A), power (ACTN3, NOS3), strength (PPARG), and injury susceptibility (COL5A1, MMP3), while also examining inherited conditions like cardiomyopathies (MYH7, MYBPC3). Pharmacogenomic guidelines were established for optimizing common sports medications, including NSAIDs (CYP2C9), opioids (CYP2D6), and cardiovascular drugs (SLCO1B1, CYP2C19). Digital health technologies, including wearables and predictive analytics, showed potential for enhanced athlete monitoring and injury prevention, while multi-omics approaches integrated various molecular data to understand exercise capacity and injury predisposition, enabling personalized assessments, training regimens, and therapeutic interventions based on individual biomolecular profiles. This review provides sports medicine professionals with a framework to deliver personalized care tailored to each athlete’s unique profile, promising optimized performance, reduced injury risks, and improved recovery outcomes.

Sleep banking, i.e., preemptively obtaining extra sleep prior to anticipated sleep loss, has been proposed as a strategy to reduce the cognitive and physiological consequences of sleep deprivation. However, our understanding remains incomplete regarding the effectiveness of preemptive sleep extension in enhancing resilience to sleep loss. A comprehensive literature search was conducted using PubMed, MEDLINE, and Embase for studies published between 2004 and 2025. Following a comprehensive literature search, we identified 12 studies meeting the inclusion criteria—seven primary experimental trials comprising approximately 140 participants, predominantly healthy young adults aged 18–39 years. We evaluated the effects of sleep banking on cognitive performance, mood, physiological parameters, and real-world outcomes. Included studies encompassed experimental laboratory trials, observational research, and field studies in occupational and athletic settings. Although the number of studies on sleep banking remains limited, experimental evidence demonstrates that preemptive sleep extension improves objective alertness and vigilance during subsequent sleep restriction or total sleep deprivation. Individuals who obtained additional sleep exhibited fewer attentional lapses, faster reaction times, and improved mood, although subjective sleepiness often remained high. Preliminary field evidence suggests that preemptive sleep extension enhances workplace safety, reduces errors, and improves sustained attention in shift workers. In athletic contexts, sleep banking has been associated with improved physical endurance and reaction speed. Importantly, this review primarily addresses the homeostatic dimension of sleep regulation (Process S); circadian factors (Process C), including chronotype, social jetlag, and circadian timing of sleep extension and testing, were not systematically addressed in the included studies and represent important limitations of the current evidence base. Overall, sleep banking appears to be a viable strategy for enhancing resilience to acute sleep loss. It confers measurable benefits in performance, cognitive function, and physiological markers, supporting its application in high-demand occupations and competitive environments. Although it does not fully eliminate subjective fatigue, sleep banking may serve as a valuable complement to other fatigue mitigation strategies for anticipated short-term sleep loss.