New research led by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health warns that global warming caused by climate change could lead to an increase in inpatient mortality from respiratory diseases during the warm season. The study, published in The Lancet Regional Health – Europe, analyzed the association between ambient temperature and in-hospital mortality from respiratory diseases in Madrid and Barcelona from 2006 to 2019.
The study found that hospital admissions for respiratory diseases, including deaths, were higher during the cold season and lower during the warm season. However, the incidence of inpatient mortality was highest during the summer and strongly correlated with high temperatures.
The researchers used data on daily hospital admissions, weather conditions, and air pollutants to calculate the association between ambient temperature and hospital mortality. While it is known that exposure to extreme temperatures increases the risk of hospital admissions for respiratory diseases, this study focused on the proportion of admissions that resulted in death, indicating the severity of the cases.
The study found that summer temperatures accounted for 16% and 22.1% of overall fatal hospitalizations from respiratory diseases in Madrid and Barcelona, respectively. The impact of heat was immediate, with the majority of the effect observed within the first three days of exposure to high temperatures.
The study suggests that the increase in acute respiratory outcomes during heat is more due to the exacerbation of chronic and infectious respiratory diseases rather than the spread of new infections. The effects of heat were observed in acute bronchitis, bronchiolitis, pneumonia, and respiratory failure. Women were found to be more vulnerable to heat-related respiratory mortality than men.
The findings have important implications for health facilities’ adaptation policies to climate change. If effective measures are not taken, the burden of inpatient mortality from respiratory diseases during the warm season could worsen due to climate warming. The study emphasizes the need for hospitals to adapt to the impact of climate change on human health to mitigate the risks posed by rising temperatures.
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- Source: Coherent Market Insights, Public sources, Desk research
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