Extreme heat drives CV death risk in men, Black adults
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WASHINGTON — A greater number of extreme heat days was associated with elevated CV mortality in men and Black adults across the United States from 2008 to 2017, researchers reported at the American College of Cardiology Scientific Session.
“This suggests that extreme heat may have a disproportionate impact on the cardiovascular health of certain populations,” Sameed Khatana MD, MPH, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine and staff cardiologist at Philadelphia VA Medical Center, told Healio. “We also estimated that there were, on average, 600 to 700 additional deaths from cardiovascular disease associated with extreme heat per year.”
Khatana and colleagues analyzed daily maximum heat index levels for 3,108 counties in the contiguous U.S. during summer months (May-September) from 1979 to 2017, using data from the National Environmental Public Health Tracking Network. Researchers also assessed monthly CV mortality rates for adults using data from the National Center for Health Statistics. For each county, an extreme heat day was defined as a maximum heat index of at least 90°F and greater than or equal to the 99th percentile of the maximum heat index in the baseline period (1979-2007) for that day. Researchers also analyzed monthly measures of precipitation, drought, extreme weather events and unemployment as covariates.
From 2008 to 2017, each additional extreme heat day during summertime months was associated with a 0.13% (95% CI, 0.04-0.21; P = .005) increase in monthly adult CV mortality rates. This association was significant for men (0.21%; 95% CI, 0.08-0.33) but not women.
Among race/ethnicity subgroups, this association was significant for Black adults (0.27%; 95% CI, 0.1-0.45), but not for white or Hispanic adults.
“Some of the clinical implications of these findings are that CV health care providers need to be mindful of the risk to the health of their patients that extreme heat poses,” Khatana told Healio. “Individuals with CVD are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of extreme heat due to their underlying disease as well as some of the medications they may be taking which can affect thermoregulation. The impact of extreme heat on human health will become an increasingly important issue as extreme heat events increase in intensity, duration, and frequency due to climate change.”
Khatana said as extreme heat events increase, this may exacerbate preexisting disparities in CV mortality, notably between non-Hispanic Black adults and other populations.
“Future research needs to examine whether certain interventions, like increasing tree cover in an area, can mitigate adverse effects of extreme heat on cardiovascular health,” Khatana told Healio.
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Khatana SA, et al. Abstract 1186-006. Presented at: American College of Cardiology Scientific Session; April 2-4, 2022; Washington, D.C. (hybrid meeting).
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