Heat waves and extreme cold spells may increase the risk of premature cardiovascular death, although heat is more likely to do so than cold, according to new research published in
Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, an American Heart Association journal.
A release from AHA reports that the study from Brisbane, Australia is the first in which researchers examined the association between daily average temperature and "years
of life lost" due to cardiovascular disease. Years of life lost measures premature death by estimating years of life lost according to average life expectancy.
Lead researcher Cunrui Huang, M.Med., M.S.P.H. contends that the findings are important "because of how the body responds to temperate extremes, the growing obesity trend and the earth's climate changes." "With increasing rates of obesity and related conditions, including diabetes, more people will be vulnerable to extreme temperatures and
that could increase the future disease burden of extreme temperatures," he said.
