Fewer dying from cold, more going to ER for heat-related illnesses: UCSD

Hot weather File photo courtesy National Weather Provision The changing conditions in California is reducing the number of people dying of cold temperatures but increasing heat-related crisis room visits according to a analysis published Wednesday by UC San Diego researchers The assessment a joint collaboration between UCSD and Stanford revealed that as the average temperature increases fewer Californians die during cold weather While more people are now dying of extreme heat the pure numbers of those not dying during low temperatures outweigh it However higher temperatures cause a sharp increase in ER visits Heat can harm wellbeing even when it doesn t kill mentioned Carlos Gould assistant professor at the Herbert Wertheim School of Citizens Healthcare and Human Longevity Science at UC San Diego and first author of the evaluation Warmer temperatures were consistently associated with more trips to the crisis department so studies and planning that only consider mortality miss a big slice of the burden The researchers used details covering all deaths crisis department visits hospitalizations and daily temperatures in California from to publishing the findings in Wednesday s edition of the journal Science Advances According to the material crisis room visits rise sharply with hotter days Injuries mental robustness issues and poisonings show marked increases with heat but are not major causes of death so they are often missed in studies that focus only on mortality the authors write Age plays a critical role in shaping soundness risks from temperatures Gould explained Older adults are particularly vulnerable to cold temperatures whereas younger adults and children are more affected by heat The benefit of fewer people dying of cold-related causes may be offset by the several hospitalizations and crisis room visits the authors write They suggest strength agenda demands to account for this trend as environment change continues with hospitals insurers and society soundness agencies preparing for higher demand during heat events and tailoring heat warnings and guidance to different age groups We often think about only the bulk extreme strength impacts of heat waves deaths This work is showing that multiple things that we may not think about being sensitive to extreme heat are like poisonings endocrine disorders injuries and digestive issues commented Alexandra Heaney assistant professor at the Wertheim School and co-author of the paper We need to focus on the full spectrum of wellness impacts when we think about heat waves now and in the future Using projections based on moderate situation change scenarios through the researchers estimate California will see around fewer deaths overall due to less cold weather partially offset by an estimated additional million heat-driven crisis department visits