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Researchers led by investigators at Mass Common Brigham have found that during the last 25 years, warmth and cold-related deaths have triggered greater than 69,000 deaths within the U.S., disproportionately affecting sure populations. The findings are revealed within the Annals of Inner Medication.
“Prior research, many of which was ecological, modeling or forecasting in nature, has examined heat- and cold-related deaths separately, but this study provides a real, observed nationwide and contemporary assessment of deaths related to non-optimal temperatures at both ends of the spectrum and across key demographic subgroups,” mentioned senior creator Shady Abohashem, MD, MPH, investigator on the Cardiovascular Imaging Analysis Heart of Massachusetts Common Hospital and Mass Common Brigham Coronary heart and Vascular Institute. Abohashem can be an teacher at Harvard Medical Faculty.
For his or her examine, Abohashem and his colleagues analyzed knowledge from the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention’s WONDER (Vast-ranging On-line Information for Epidemiologic Analysis) platform, particularly on the lookout for demise certificates that recorded temperature as a contributing or underlying reason behind demise primarily based on codes from medical data.
Between 1999 and 2024, there have been 69,713,971 U.S. deaths, of which 69,256 (one out of each 1,000) had excessive temperature publicity recorded as an underlying or contributing trigger (35% heat-related and 65% cold-related). Crude estimates indicated that temperature-related mortality charges had been greater in newer years.
“Our findings show that both heat and cold exposure continue to claim thousands of lives every year in the United States, deaths that are largely preventable,” mentioned Abohashem.
“While most temperature-related deaths are still driven by cold exposure, heat-related deaths are expected to rise as climate change accelerates.”
Older adults (≥65 years) and males had greater temperature-related mortality in contrast with their counterparts. Relating to race/ethnicity, Black people had the best heat-related adjusted mortality charges, which had been greater than twice these of white people. Chilly-related adjusted mortality charges had been likewise biggest for Blacks, adopted by Whites and Hispanics.
“Climate change increases risks of severe weather events, and our findings underscore the need for targeted adaptation strategies, like improving housing quality, access to cooling and heating, and early-warning systems, to protect vulnerable groups as climate extremes intensify,” mentioned Abohashem.
“The results help us understand which populations may be disproportionately affected so public health strategies can shift accordingly.”
Extra data:
Hassan I et al, Temperature-related deaths within the US, 1999 – 2024, Annals of Inner Medication (2025). DOI: 10.7326/ANNALS-25-01006
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Scientists doc rise in temperature-related deaths within the US (2025, November 17)
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