Climate extremes may quietly be pushing heart disease rates higher: Study

Key Points:

• A study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that extreme heat, cold, and heavy rain increase the risk of cardiovascular disease across 157 Chinese cities from 2015 to 2020.
• Specifically, each day above 100.4°F raised heart disease risk by about 3%, cold days at or below 14°F increased risk by less than 1%, and days with over two inches of rain raised risk by nearly 2%.
• Vulnerable groups include people under retirement age, smokers, those with high BMI, and residents of high-ozone or rural areas, with regional differences showing heat impacts stronger in eastern China and cold impacts stronger in western China.
• The study highlights that climate change-driven increases in extreme weather events are a growing concern for cardiovascular health, urging individuals to take precautions such as staying hydrated, avoiding outdoor exertion during extreme weather, and maintaining stable indoor temperatures.
• Researchers emphasize that while a single extreme weather day may not cause a heart event, repeated exposure can significantly raise cardiovascular risk at the population level, and weather alerts should be considered cardiovascular health alerts, especially for at-risk populations.