Extreme cold appears to increase the risk of dying from heart failure by 37%. international studies It was published in the journal Circulation of the American Heart Association.
Fatality was found to be lower on very hot days, but still increased heart failure 12% lower risk of death.
To examine the impact of temperature extremes on heart disease, researchers analyzed data on more than 32 million cardiovascular deaths in 567 cities in 27 countries on five continents between 1979 and 2019. We compared mortality on days of extreme and moderate temperatures. temperature.
heart disease is leading cause of death In the United States and around the world, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, which participated in the study, Baltimore experiences both very cold and very cold days with temperatures below 20 degrees Fahrenheit or above 86 degrees Celsius. More deaths from cardiovascular causes were found to occur on hot days.
Causes of cardiovascular death include stroke, arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat), ischemic heart disease (due to narrowing of the heart’s arteries), and heart failure (when the heart cannot pump as much blood as it needs). The risk of death was found to be highest in heart failure patients.
Overall, for every 1,000 deaths from cardiovascular causes, very cold days added about 9 more deaths, and very hot days added about 2 more deaths. On a very hot day he killed 3 people.
“climate change It produces both hotter summers and colder winters,” the researchers urged patients, doctors, and public health officials to become more aware of the potential health risks of extreme temperatures.
This article is part of The Post’s “Big Number” series, which briefly looks at the statistical aspects of health problems. Additional information and related studies are available via hyperlinks.