11 May 2023 • Nonoptimal temperatures may be responsible for an increase in global CVD deaths and disability-adjusted life-years (DALY), according to data published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology. The researchers looked at non-optimal, low, and high temperature-related CVD burden and DALYs from 1990 to 2019 using data from the Global Burden of Disease study. According to the study, non-optimal temperatures were those that were either above or below a region's hypothetical minimum-risk exposure limit.

The researchers discovered that 1,104,200 CVD fatalities and 19,768,986 CVD DALYs were related to cold temperatures in 2019. There were 2,098,989 DALYs and 93,095 CVD deaths linked to high temperatures. There were 1,194,195.53 total non-optimal temperature-related CVD deaths and 21,799,370 total CVD DALYs.

Since 1990, when there were 824,813 CVD deaths linked to non-optimal temperature and 16,583,759 DALYs, the number of non-optimal temperature-associated CVD deaths has increased by 45%. Between 1990 and 2019, deaths caused by low temperatures rose by 36%, whereas deaths caused by high temperatures rose by 600%.

The study concludes with findings that strongly suggest non-optimal temperatures are significantly associated with global CVD deaths and DALYs, underscoring the significant impact of temperature on public health.

Source: EAPC | Read full story