JABAR EKSPRES – A study has found the fatal effects of extreme weather such as heat waves or cold snaps when coupled with air pollution. The research was published last month in the journal circulation.
These conditions can allegedly double the risk of heart attack. Even the negative impact on the cardiovascular system was also revealed to be especially dangerous for women and the elderly.
As quoted from the Health page, Thursday (8/17/2023), deadly heart attacks were detected to increase during periods of extreme heat or cold.
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In the study, researchers analyzed 202,678 deaths from heart attacks in Jiangsu Province, China, between 2015 and 2020. They examined weather patterns and pollution levels in the days surrounding the deaths.
The team found the risk of fatal heart attack was twice as high as normal when temperatures ranged from 28 to 36 degrees Celsius for four days. The risk also rose when fine particle pollution measured above 37.5 micrograms per cubic meter.
This exceeds the World Health Organization (WHO) air quality guidelines. WHO recommends that people avoid exposure to more than 15 micrograms per cubic meter more than three to four days a year.
As a result, the researchers found an 18 percent increase in the risk of a deadly heart attack over two days of heatwave exposure.
The chance of dying from a heart attack increased by four percent during extreme cold weather, which is during a two-day winter when temperatures range from 0.5 to five degrees Celsius.
People aged 80 years and older have the highest risk of dying from heart attack during heatwaves, cold snaps or days with poor air quality. Women can be more affected than men during extreme heat.
Researchers do not yet know the exact cause-and-effect relationship between extreme weather, pollution and heart attacks. However, they have some theories. For example, dehydration may affect heart attack risk during extreme heat.
