Extreme Heat Set to Increase Heart Attack, Stroke Deaths in US
Cardiovascular deaths due to heat will rise as high-temperature days become more frequent, a new study finds.
A researcher uses a computer program to study the effect of heat exposure on the human body in Phoenix, Arizona, in July.
Photographer: Patrick T. Fallon/AFP/Getty ImagesCardiovascular-related deaths due to extreme heat are expected to nearly triple in the US by mid-century as climate change raises the frequency of very hot days, according to a new study. Older and Black adults are likely to be the most affected.
The study, supported by the National Institutes of Health and published Monday in the journal Circulation, predicts that the number of heat-related cardiovascular deaths in the contiguous US will increase from an annual average of 1,651 recorded in recent years to 4,320 by mid-century (defined as from 2036 to 2065).