Oct. 30, 2023 -- Cardiovascular deaths caused by extreme heat could double and possibly triple by mid-century in the United States if something isn’t done to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the American Heart Association said Monday.
The projections were laid out in a study published in the AHA’s journal Circulation.
An analysis said that extreme heat, defined as a maximum heat index of 90 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, was associated with 1,651 excess cardiovascular deaths per year from 2008 to 2019.
By 2036-2065, that yearly number could rise to 4,320 excess deaths if proposed policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are implemented. If minimal action to lower greenhouse gases is taken, a projected 5,491 such deaths may occur, the study said.
"Climate change and its many manifestations will play an increasingly important role on the health of communities around the world in the coming decades," Sameed Khatana, MD, the study's lead author and an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and a cardiologist at the Philadelphia VA Medical Center, said in a news release.
"Climate change is also a health equity issue as it will impact certain individuals and populations to a disproportionate degree and may exacerbate preexisting health disparities in the U.S."
Pre-existing health disparities will increase if nothing is done, the news release said. The study said the increase in heat-related cardiovascular deaths is projected to be 3.5 times greater in people 65 and older compared to younger adults and 4.6 times greater for Black adults than for white adults.
Khatana said previous studies suggested Black residents may have less access to air conditioning and tree cover. They also may have a higher degree of exposure to the “urban heat island effect,” which is when areas with more housing, buildings, and roads have greater temperature increases than less-developed areas.
