Cold Weather Deaths Keep Rising for Americans

Follow Drugslib on

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on Dec 19, 2024.

By Ernie Mundell HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, Dec. 19, 2024 -- It's a perhaps unexpected consequence of climate change that periods of deep cold now occur more frequently during American winters, despite an overall trend to warmer temperatures year round.

That uptick in cold snaps, along with other possible factors, has been linked to a doubling of U.S. deaths from freezing temperatures since 1999, according to new research published Dec. 19 in the Journal of the American Medical Association..

The findings "warrant public health interventions to improve access to warming centers and indoor heating for vulnerable populations," according to research led by Dr. Rishi Wadhera, an associate professor of health policy and management at Harvard University.

In their study, Wadhera's team tracked U.S. death certificates for the over 63.5 million Americans who died between 1999 and 2022. In total, exposure to cold temperatures was listed as a direct or contributing factor in a death in 0.06% of cases over that time span.

However, the rate at which these deaths occurred more than doubled over the 23 years covered by the study: From 0.44 deaths per every 100,000 people in 1999 to 0.92 deaths per 100,000 by 2022.

That worked out to an 3.4% annual increase in cold-related deaths year-by-year since 1999, the Harvard team calculated.

However, the bulk of the change occurred between 2016 and 2022, they noted, which has coincided with accelerations in climate change.

Certain subgroups of Americans are also at high risk of dying from exposure to freezing weather.

The aged are most vulnerable, because they are "more susceptible to cold weather due to limited thermoregulatory [body temperature] response" and often have underlying health conditions that weaken them further, the authors wrote.

American Indian/Alaska Native populations also had much higher odds of dying from cold exposures, as did Black Americans, compared to white Americans, the study found.

That's consistent with people in minority populations too often living in spaces with a "lack of home insulation or heat," Wadhera's group pointed out.

Besides climate change, the researchers also cited a rise in risk factors such as "homelessness, social isolation and substance use" as playing a potential role in the increase in cold-related deaths.

Sources

  • Journal of the American Medical Association, news release, Dec. 19, 2024

    • Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

    Source: HealthDay

    Posted : 2024-12-20 06:00

    Read more

    Disclaimer

    Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Drugslib.com is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Drugslib.com information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Drugslib.com does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Drugslib.com's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Drugslib.com's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners.

    The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Drugslib.com does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Drugslib.com provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

    Popular Keywords