U.S. heat-related deaths double over 25 years

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) — A new study revealed a disturbing trend in heat-related deaths across the United States, with mortality rates more than doubling over the 25 years.
The study, published Monday in the Journal of the American Medical Association, examined death records where extreme heat was listed as the primary or contributing cause.
By analyzing data of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from 1999 to 2023, the researchers found that heat-related deaths rose from 1,069 in 1999 to 2,325 in 2023, up by 117 percent.
The lowest number of heat-related deaths in the study period was 311 in 2004, in contrast with 2,325 in 2023, the highest.
The researchers from University of Texas at San Antonio, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences and Pennsylvania State University highlighted a sharp increase in the past seven years, aligning with unprecedented global heat records as the impacts of climate change become more severe.
“From 2016 to 2023, we observed a significant increase of 16.8 percent per year in the age-adjusted mortality rate,” the researchers wrote in the study. This recent surge reversed a previously observed downward trend in heat-related deaths.
The findings aligned with global studies suggesting rising temperatures due to climate change are increasingly deadly. According to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, in 2023, the world experienced its warmest average temperature since record-keeping began in 1850.
Heat-related illnesses, like heat exhaustion or heat stroke, happen when the body is not able to properly cool itself. This can cause damage to the brain and other vital organs, according to the CDC.
The study’s authors warn that without intervention, this upward trend in heat-related deaths is likely to continue as global temperatures rise.
However, they also suggested that local authorities in high-risk areas consider expanding access to hydration centers and public cooling facilities, which could significantly mitigate the impact of rising temperatures.
While the research provided crucial insights, the authors acknowledged some limitations, including potential misclassification of causes of death, which could lead to underestimation of heat-related mortality rates, and possible bias from increasing awareness of heat-related deaths over time. ■