THURSDAY, June 13, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Climate change is having a negative impact on the heart health of people around the world, a new study warns.
Extreme temperatures, hurricanes and other dangerous weather events all contribute to an increased risk of heart disease and heart-related death, researchers reported June 12 in the journal Neurology. JAMA Cardiology.
“Climate change is already negatively impacting cardiovascular health in the U.S. and around the world,” said researcher Dhruv Kazi, vice director of the Center for Outcomes Research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. “Urgent action is needed to reduce cardiovascular risks associated with climate change, especially among the most vulnerable populations.”
Over the past century, the Earth’s average temperature has risen by more than 2 degrees Fahrenheit, leading to long-term changes in weather patterns, rising sea levels and disruption of ecosystems, according to researchers.
The researchers noted that the hottest 10 years on record have all occurred in the past decade.
In this review, researchers evaluated data from nearly 500 previous studies conducted between 1970 and 2023.
All of these studies looked at the association between weather events such as extreme temperatures, wildfire smoke, ozone pollution, salt water intrusion, hurricanes, dust storms and drought and heart health.
They found that the heart health of older people, minorities and the poor is disproportionately affected by climate change.
The study also found that risks to heart health from extreme weather can persist for months or even years after the initial hazard occurs.
For example, after Hurricane Sandy, which caused nearly $20 billion in damages in New York City alone in 2012, the risk of death from heart disease remained elevated a year later, researchers found.
Additionally, events like wildfires can pose widespread dangers to people hundreds of miles away from the actual event, and studies have found that wildfire smoke increases the risk of cardiac arrest and other heart health problems.
“Given how many Americans are now exposed to wildfire smoke each year, like the smoke from the Canadian wildfires that hit New York City last summer, further research to precisely quantify this risk is urgently needed,” Kazi said in a Beth Israel news release.
Kaji listed the ways in which climate change could affect heart health:
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Extreme heat increases your heart rate and blood pressure
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Wildfire smoke may trigger systemic inflammation
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Natural disasters cause mental distress
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Hurricanes and floods can disrupt people’s medical care.
“We know that these pathways can impair people’s cardiovascular health, but more research is needed to understand how big an effect they have and which people are particularly susceptible,” Kaji said.
The researchers added that further studies need to be done to assess the heart health risks from climate change in poorer countries, where people may be at even higher risk.
“Although data on outcomes in low-income countries are lacking, our study shows that some of the environmental stressors that are already increasing in frequency and intensity with climate change are associated with increased cardiovascular disease risk,” said Dr. Mary Rice, a pulmonologist and critical care physician at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and senior researcher.
Kaji said patients can also take steps to protect their heart health by planning ahead and minimizing exposure to things like extreme heat and wildfire smoke.
For example, patients can develop contingency plans to ensure they have a steady supply of needed medications in the event of a flood or hurricane, Kaji said.
For more information
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more information on climate change and health.
Source: Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, news release, June 12, 2024