Report forecasts climate change to drive rise in heart disease

According to research, hot weather and cardiovascular issues are linked, and if the current climate continues, heart disease could double or triple in 25 years.

Researchers in Australia reported finding that hot weather causes 49, 483 years of healthy life lost annually as a result of a report released on Monday. They cautioned against increasing extreme weather impacts in the upcoming decades given current climate trends.

The study, which was published in the European Heart Journal, incorporated data from the Australian Burden of Disease Database, which included heart disease, between 2003 and 2018.

Our hearts must work harder to cool down when the weather is hot. This increased pressure is potentially dangerous, particularly for those who have cardiovascular disease, according to University of Adelaide professor Peng Bi.

Extreme weather conditions may account for 7.3 percent of the total burden for cardiovascular disease or death, according to the researchers’ calculations.

According to the report, modeling suggests that the figure could double or even triple by 2050, depending on the various scenarios the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has suggested for greenhouse gas emissions.

First of its kind study

The fundamental connection between higher temperatures and increased cardiovascular risk has been documented globally, according to lead author Jingwen Liu of the University of Adelaide, despite our study’s focus on Australia.

Liu referred to the study as “the first of its kind globally,” adding that “our comprehensive approach makes the study useful for developing future climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies.”

The authors also discovered that strategies for reducing the effects of high temperatures on cardiovascular disease could be employed to help people adjust.