By Jen Christensen | CNN
As temperatures reach record highs in lots of parts of the United States this week, emergency rooms are preparing for a brand new normal: More and more patients have gotten seriously ailing because their bodies cannot tolerate the warmth.
A brand new study published within the medical journal JAMA shows that the variety of heat-related deaths within the United States has been steadily increasing for years: From 1999 to 2023, the variety of heat-related deaths increased by 117%, with at the least 21,518 people dying during that period.
Using data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, researchers found that before 2016, the annual variety of deaths fluctuated from 12 months to 12 months, with peaks in 2006 and 2011. After 2016, nonetheless, the study found a gradual increase. On average, heat-related deaths decreased by 1.4% from 1999 to 2016, then increased by 16.8% annually from 2016 to 2023.
The authors consider that heat-related deaths are likely underestimated.
“The way death certificates are filled out means that the people filling them out don't always know the exact circumstances that led to the death, so we're probably only scratching the surface,” said study co-author Dr. Jeffrey Howard. an associate professor of public health on the University of Texas at San Antonio. “The fact that you're seeing this trend tells me that there are probably many more deaths that we just can't measure.”
Unlike a transparent reason for death reminiscent of a automotive accident, heat-related deaths may be tougher to discover.
But awareness of the threat to human health posed by global warming is growing amongst some doctors, said Dr. Catharina Giudice, a Emergency doctor and fellow in climate change and human health at Harvard University, who was not involved within the study.
“When you fill out a death certificate, you interpret it as best you can based on the information available. I think the more people are aware of climate change-related mortality, the more people are aware of it,” Giudice said. “So there may be some tendency toward increased awareness over time” that contributes to the recent trend, she said.
And more people will likely proceed to wish emergency look after heat exposure. End of this centuryAccording to a 2022 study, greater than half of the world's population is anticipated to be exposed to dangerous heat for weeks annually. This makes even on a regular basis activities reminiscent of go for a hike within the Grand Canyon, Go running in physical education classes and even just sit on the couch without air-con potentially fatal.
Extreme heat is the No. 1 weather-related reason for death within the United States, in line with the World Meteorological Organizationbut experts say it's a phenomenon that always goes unnoticed. Unlike a hurricane, there aren't often dramatic images to remind people of the risks of the warmth.
How heat kills
Heat-related deaths may include suicide, drowning and murder, phenomena that would not be captured on this study.
Howard hopes that studies like this one can raise awareness of the issue and encourage further steps to forestall ultimately preventable deaths.
“I think this should be a real wake-up call and say, 'This really deserves more attention,' especially in high-risk areas,” Howard said.
Public health experts recommend that governments spend money on infrastructure that may also help lower temperatures, reminiscent of planting shade trees and constructing covered bus shelters. There are even cool pavements that, when applied to asphalt, can reduce surface temperatures.
Other suggestions included providing money to put in more air-con in schools and helping low-income individuals with high air-con bills, in addition to creating more cooling shelters and mobile cooling centers that can provide people a break from the warmth.
The recent study found a disproportionately high variety of heat-related deaths in 4 states: California, Arizona, Nevada and Texas. “These are all hot areas, so that's to be expected, but a lot more could be done to prepare for these hot days,” Howard said. “I hope this will inspire further action.”
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