Study projects US heat-related hospitalizations could double by 2040
8 reported
A new study published in the American Geophysical Union journal GeoHealth estimates that annual heat-related emergency department visits or hospitalizations across the US could rise from about 109,000 cases to as many as 237,000 cases by 2040. The research, which examined 53 of the largest US metropolitan areas, projects that annual healthcare costs for heat-related conditions could nearly double to more than $1 billion. The study’s authors, Vivek Shandas of Portland State University and Stephan Brown of CAPA Strategies, found that the California and Las Vegas areas are expected to see the greatest total number of heat-related health problems, while regions unaccustomed to extreme heat, such as the northeast and Ohio valley, could suffer the most severe health consequences per major heat event. The article notes that severe heat already kills more people in the US each year than all other extreme weather events combined, with deaths rising by more than 50% over the past two decades. The researchers warn that illnesses and deaths are most likely among poorer people who cannot afford air conditioning, work outdoors for long hours, live in poorly designed housing, or have pre-existing health conditions. The study was reported by The Guardian as a single-source story.
What’s reported
The study estimates annual heat-related hospitalizations could rise from about 109,000 to as many as 237,000 by 2040.
Annual healthcare costs for heat-related conditions could nearly double to more than $1 billion.
The research was published in the American Geophysical Union journal GeoHealth.
The study looked at 53 of the largest US metropolitan areas.
The California and Las Vegas areas are projected to have the greatest total number of heat-related health problems.
The northeast and Ohio valley are expected to suffer the most severe health consequences per major heat event.
Severe heat kills more people in the US each year than all other extreme weather events combined, with deaths up more than 50% over two decades.
Illnesses and deaths are most likely among poorer people, those who cannot afford air conditioning, outdoor workers, those in poorly designed housing, or those with pre-existing conditions.
Key figures
Vivek Shandas, professor at Portland State University and study co-author
Stephan Brown, CAPA Strategies and study co-author
Mark Wolfe, executive director of the National Energy Assistance Directors Association (NEADA)
Sources: The Guardian
