Extreme Heat will Double US Hospitalizations by 2040, Study Finds

A new study published in GeoHealth projects that heat-related emergency department visits and hospitalizations in the United States could nearly double from about 109,000 annually to as many as 237,000 by 2040, with associated healthcare costs exceeding $1 billion each year.

 

Researchers analyzing 53 major metropolitan areas found impacts will be uneven, with the greatest total burden in California and Las Vegas, and the most severe per-event consequences in regions less acclimated to extreme heat such as the Northeast and Ohio Valley.

Older adults, people with chronic conditions, and low-income households are identified as most at risk. “Woefully unprepared” systems underscore escalating public health strain. Read more from The Guardian here.