A new study from the University of Pennsylvania found extreme heat accounted for about 600-700 additional deaths from cardiovascular disease annually over a decade-long period in the U.S.
The study was presented at the American College of Cardiology’s 71st Annual Scientific Session and was conducted by Sameed Ahmed Khatana et al.
Extreme heat events are on the rise in the U.S., which now sees about three times as many heat waves per year compared to the 1960s due to climate change.
Heat can cause increased strain on the heart and trigger events such as heart attacks.
In addition, some heart disease risk factors, such as diabetes—as well as heart medications, such as diuretics and beta-blockers—can affect a person’s ability to regulate their body temperature and make it difficult to handle extreme heat.
In the study, the team analyzed temperature trends and heart death in all 3,108 counties in the contiguous U.S.
Each county’s baseline average daily maximum temperature was calculated based on temperature records from 1979 to 2007.
The researchers then identified extreme heat days that occurred in the decade from 2008 to 2017.
They found that each additional day of extreme heat in a month was associated with a 0.13% increase in deaths from heart disease, equating to an average of 600-700 additional deaths per year across the decade studied.
However, different trends were observed among genders and racial groups.
For men, each day of extreme heat was associated with a 0.21% increase in cardiovascular mortality, but there was no significant association for women.
Among non-Hispanic Black populations, each day of extreme heat was associated with a 0.27% increase in mortality, but there was no significant association for non-Hispanic white or Hispanic populations.
According to the researchers, these findings suggest that the cardiovascular mortality burden of heatwaves is borne disproportionately by men and by Black communities.
Researchers said several factors may contribute to these disparities. For example, the higher proportion of men working in sectors where it can be harder to avoid sustained heat exposure, such as construction and agriculture, could account for some of the difference between genders.
The higher risk among Black populations could be related to systemic health disparities and to differences in the built environment—such as less access to air conditioning and heat-protective tree cover—that have resulted from a history of segregation and discrimination in predominately Black neighborhoods.
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Another new study found that environmental pollution could harm heart health.
A study from Rutgers found living in a noisy environment can be annoying, but it might also harm your health.
People experiencing high levels of noise from cars, trains or planes were more likely to suffer a heart attack than people living in quieter areas.
The study was presented at the American College of Cardiology’s 71st Annual Scientific Session.
In the study, the team analyzed heart attack rates among nearly 16,000 New Jersey residents hospitalized for a heart attack in 2018.
The average daily transportation noise experienced at home was calculated using data from the state’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
Patients were divided into those experiencing high levels of transportation noise (an average of 65 decibels or higher over the course of the day) and those with low noise exposure (a daily average of fewer than 50 decibels).
A noise level of 65 decibels is similar to a loud conversation or laughter.
Since noise levels were averaged over the course of the day, many people may have experienced periods of relative quiet that were interrupted by louder bursts such as trucks, trains or aircraft going by.
The team found that 5% of hospitalizations for heart attacks were attributable to elevated high noise levels in the state.
The heart attack rate was 72% higher in places with high transportation noise exposure, with these areas seeing 3,336 heart attacks per 100,000 people compared with 1,938 heart attacks per 100,000 people in quieter areas.
Based on the relative rates of heart attacks in different locations, the researchers calculated that high noise exposure accounted for about 1 in 20 heart attacks in the state.
The findings align with several previous studies conducted in Europe.
New Jersey is a state with many dense urban areas in close proximity to roadways, train lines, and three major airports.
The team says other urban areas with similar infrastructure and transportation noise would likely see a similar pattern.
They say noise can cause chronic stress, disturbances in sleep, and emotional distress such as anxiety and depression, which could impact cardiovascular health.
Chronic stress is known to cause hormonal changes linked with inflammation and changes in the blood vessels that are associated with heart disease.
Living near roadways and other transportation infrastructure also means greater exposure to vehicle exhaust and other forms of particulate air pollution.
Researchers are beginning to disentangle those factors, but the team says further research is needed to elucidate the effects of noise pollution on heart health.
If you care about heart disease, please read studies about antioxidant drug that could protect against stroke and heart attack, and cannabis and heart attack: what you need to know
For more information about heart health, please see recent studies about how to treat and prevent heart attack in people with diabetes, and results showing high blood pressure causes heart attacks more than diabetes.
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