The American Heart Association (AHA) journal, Circulation, released a study revealing the potential for climate change's extreme heat to evolve into a leading cause of cardiovascular deaths in the United States, indicating that seniors and non-Hispanic Black citizens are at a higher risk.
The AHA and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute financially backed this research, unearthing that high temperatures over 90 degrees Fahrenheit contributed to an extra 1,651 heart disease deaths per year from 2008 to 2019.
By mid-century, the study forecasted that there may be up to 4,320 deaths annually if we make good strides toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions as advised.
Conversely, if there are no actions taken about emissions reduction, the death tally could spike to around 5,491 each year. Therefore stressing the need for nationwide emission regulation to curb rampant heat-induced fatalities.
Women cool off by dipping their feet in the pool of the World War II Memorial on the National Mall during an unseasonably hot day in Washington, DC, on September 7, 2023.
Threat Highlights Public Health Inequality
More importantly, the study emphasized how extreme heat exacerbates existing public health inequalities. Projections indicate that among people more advanced in age 65 or older number of vast heat-related cardiovascular fatalities could go up by a factor of almost 3.5 relative to younger individuals in the US.
This lopsided impact extends to racial differences; with black communities likely facing heat-associated deaths at an alarming rate-4.6 times higher than white counterparts.
"Previous studies have suggested Black residents may have less access to air conditioning; less tree cover; and a higher degree of the 'urban heat island effect' - built-up areas having a greater increase in temperature than surrounding less-developed areas," Khatana noted, as reported by the AHA.
Dr. Sameed Khatana-the study's chief author-suggests these estimates might actually be underplayed as they only consider heart-disease-related deaths due to severe heat. As hospitalizations from heart failure, strokes, and nonfatal heart attacks triggered by high-temperature days were not included in the analysis, the full extent of this US public health problem could be significantly greater.
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In the US, heart disease is the leading cause of fatality. Although extreme heat currently causes only about 1 in every 500 cardiovascular fatalities nationwide, the increasing number of hot days calls for heightened focus on mitigating risk.
Dr. Lawrence Fine, senior advisor at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health, emphasizes the need not just to tackle causes behind rising temperatures and heart disease but also to ensure vulnerable groups have plans made for coping under severe conditions.
"The thing about heat-related deaths is that they're concentrated to when it's very hot, and they're also concentrated in people who are at greater risk because of their health conditions or other conditions," he warned, as quoted by CNN.
How Extreme Heat Harms the Heart
According to a Bloomberg report, when body temperature goes up due to excess heat exposure, blood vessels expand assisting in cooling down. However, this results in lowered blood pressure and an extra burden on your heart as it needs to beat faster to maintain blood circulation. The human body's response to overheating could potentially result in you breaking into a sweat but bear in mind this process leads to essential fluids and salt loss.
While each of these conditions is problematic on its own, low blood pressure and perspiration may be particularly dangerous when they coexist. Rashes on the skin, swollen feet, headaches, and nausea are possible side effects.
Moreover, low blood pressure may potentially cause heart attacks in the most extreme circumstances. Particularly warm evenings are dangerous because they hinder the body's ability to properly cool down.
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