Increased heat days due to climate change could increase cardiovascular deaths fivefold by 2065, TCTMD reported March 2.
A study, published in JAMA Network Open in May, compared all-cause mortality rates with extreme heat (over 100 degrees Fahrenheit) days. There were a median of 11 extreme-heat days per year from 2008 to 2017. Each extreme-heat day added 9.7 cardiovascular deaths per 10 million adults 65 and older, and an added 0.3 cardiovascular deaths per 10 million nonelderly adults. Extreme heat contributed to a mean of 869 excess cardiovascular deaths each year from 2008 to 2017.
By 2036 to 2065, the predicted number of extreme-heat days is expected to range from 24 to 35 per year, with a predicted rise to 3,515 cardiovascular deaths with intermediate increases in emissions and 4,455 cardiovascular deaths with large emission increases, according to the study.
There is emerging research that suggests some medications, such as statins, could lessen the harm posed by extreme heat, according to study author Sameed Khatana, MD. "Clinical, policy, and infrastructure efforts that can mitigate this increase need to be urgently evaluated," he said.