Heatwaves are deadly.
A recent study highlights the significantly higher risk of heart-related deaths during heatwaves that extend both day and night, known as compound heatwaves. These prolonged heat events are shown to be far more deadly than heatwaves that only affect the day or night. According to research published on April 1 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, people are 86% more likely to die from heart conditions during a compound heatwave compared to 19% during daytime-only heatwaves and 16% during nighttime heatwaves.
The research, conducted by Renjie Chen and colleagues from Fudan University School of Public Health in Shanghai, analyzed data on nearly 2.4 million heart disease deaths in mainland China between 2013 and 2019. The study found that the risk of heart-related death increases steadily during compound heatwaves, whereas it peaks and then declines during heatwaves affecting only daytime or nighttime temperatures. This shows that the constant exposure to high temperatures across both day and night is particularly harmful.
The study also revealed a heightened risk for specific heart conditions. During compound heatwaves, the risk of death from sudden cardiac arrest, heart attacks, and heart failure increased dramatically. For instance, the likelihood of dying from sudden cardiac arrest was 86% higher during compound heatwaves, compared to a 37% increased risk at night and 24% during the day. Similarly, the risk of heart attack deaths was 88% higher, and heart failure deaths were 97% more likely during these continuous heat events.
Given these findings, the study’s authors stress the importance of mitigating the effects of continuous heat exposure. They recommend providing cooling shelters in cities and improving climate control in homes to help protect vulnerable populations from the harmful impacts of compound heatwaves. Researchers also emphasize that climate change is expected to make such heat events more frequent and intense, underscoring the need for revised public health guidelines and disease-specific prevention strategies.
Looking ahead, the researchers plan to model how different climate change scenarios may influence heart-related deaths due to heatwaves, aiming to better understand the future risks and inform effective prevention measures.
Discussion about this post