Heat-related heat disease could triple by 2050, Cleveland researchers find

A new study from Cleveland-area researchers published in JAMA Cardiology estimates that heat-related heart disease could rise by 200 percent across the contiguous United States by 2050 (Source: “Heat-related heart disease may triple by mid-century,” Earth, May 28).

Researchers from Case Western Reserve University, University Hospitals, and the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center say climate change is becoming a major public health issue, especially for vulnerable communities.

The researchers combined heart disease records, NASA-derived climate models, and Census Bureau population data to estimate future impacts. Their county-level approach revealed strong links between heat-related heart disease and economic inequality.

“We already knew that extreme heat could trigger heart attacks and other cardiovascular events,” said lead author Gokul Parameswaran. “But this study is the first to map out exactly how bad the problem could get – county by county, across the U.S. It also highlighted how states with lower median household incomes are likely to face higher heat-related heart disease burden.”