A recent research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association shows an alarming increase in heat-related deaths in the United States, revealing that Americans are more at risk from extreme heat than ever before, CBS News reports.
The study found that from 1999 to 2023, there were 21,518 deaths where heat was either the primary or contributing cause, marking a staggering 117% increase over this period. Researchers caution that these figures might be an underestimation.
Using data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the publication indicates that while the annual number of heat-related deaths has fluctuated, there has been a significant rise in the last seven years. Specifically, the research found a 16.8% annual surge in heat-related deaths from 2016 to 2023, with expectations that this trend will continue as climate change drives rising temperatures.
“It is likely that continued increases in average temperatures, the number of ‘hot days,’ and the frequency and intensity of heat waves could be playing a role. There is also a social and behavioral component, including differences in access to air conditioning, outdoor work, and the number of unhoused individuals,” Dr. Jeffrey Howard, a co-author of the study and associate professor at the University of Texas at San Antonio, said.
Last year, which became the hottest year on record, also saw 2,325 deaths attributed to heat, as per the study. CDC data reveals that roughly 120,000 people were admitted to emergency rooms for heat-related illnesses throughout 2023, with over 90% of those visits occurring during the peak summer months of May to September. The states with the highest rates of heat-related deaths were identified as Arizona, California, Nevada, and Texas.
“This is not terribly surprising, as we know these are some of the hottest regions in the country; however, it reinforces that the risk varies regionally,” Howard added.
The ongoing rise in temperatures due to climate change has resulted in record-breaking heat across the country. Following the warmest July on record in 175 years, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration warned of a 77% chance that 2024 could become the hottest year yet.
Globally, the deadly toll of heat is also significant, with a recent study in Nature Medicine estimating that 47,000 people died in Europe from heat-related causes last year.
Experts stress that the recorded number of heat-related deaths in the US and worldwide is likely undercounted due to the way these deaths are tracked.
“People may present to the emergency department or the hospital with a heart attack, stroke, asthma attack, or kidney failure, and heat is often not recorded in medical records as the underlying cause,” said Dr. Céline Gounder, a CBS News medical contributor.
In the wake of the sharp rise in heat-related deaths over the past seven years, Howard has urged local and state officials, clinicians, and researchers to improve death certificate reporting procedures for better heat-related data accuracy.
“There is still a lot of variability in the procedures for completing death certificates across all of the counties in the US, which could be enhanced with additional standardization,” he noted.
To combat the dangers of extreme heat, the authors of the study recommended that local governments invest in cooling centers, air conditioning, and hydration facilities. Dr. Gounder also suggested taking advantage of state and federal tax credits for residential renewable energy projects and ensuring proper insulation in homes to reduce heat-related risks.
