Extreme heat—a leading cause of weather-related deaths in the United States—poses an increasing threat to the public, as days of extreme heat are expected to become more frequent, more intense, and longer-lasting due to the continued effects of climate change.
Extreme heat—a leading cause of weather-related deaths in the United States—poses an increasing threat to the public, as days of extreme heat are expected to become more frequent, more intense, and longer-lasting due to the continued effects of climate change. Although the adverse health impacts of heat have been well documented among older adults, less is known about the potential impacts of heat on young and middle-aged adults.
Now, a new study led by researchers at Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) has found that complications from extreme heat appear to be more pronounced among young and middle-aged US adults than older adults.
Published in The British Medical Journal, the study examined the association between extreme temperatures and visits to the emergency department (ED), and found that days of extreme heat were associated with a higher risk of ED visits for any cause, heat-related illness, renal disease, and mental disorders among all adults, but the strongest association was among adults ages 18-64.
Previous studies on the health impacts of heat have focused primarily on mortality or hospital admissions among seniors. This study is the first national-scale assessment of the effects of extreme heat on adults of all ages, as well as the first national study to consider ED visits as a marker of adverse impacts of heat on all adults.
Read more at Boston University School of Medicine
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