High Temperatures Aggravate Cardiovascular Deaths: Research

Approximately 19 million deaths globally are attributed to CVD, with 5 million of those deaths occurring in China. Additionally, it explains why more than 390 million people worldwide have long-term health effects.

From 2007 to 2013, daily data on cardiovascular disease mortality and temperature were gathered in 161 Chinese towns for a study titled “Projecting heat-related cardiovascular mortality burden attributable to human-induced climate change in China.”

Researchers discovered that starting in 2010, when heat was to blame for 31% of fatalities from cardiovascular disease, there was an increase in heat-related cardiovascular mortality. They estimated that, even in scenarios with the lowest carbon emissions in China alone, the number of heat-related cardiovascular deaths from the 2030s to the 2090s would be between 70 and 90 percent higher, or 1.6–1.9 times higher than in the 2010s.

Researchers also noted that persons in “vulnerable groups,” such as those with a history of stroke, women, the elderly, those residing in rural areas, and those with lesser levels of education, will be more susceptible to future high temperatures.

According to the study’s findings, human activity will greatly increase the burden of heat-related CVD in the future. They proposed that patients with CVD would benefit significantly from proactive adaptation and mitigation strategies against future warming, particularly the decrease of carbon emissions.