Heart and circulation work at full speed at extremely low temperatures.
According to researchers, prolonged cold is therefore particularly dangerous for people with previous illnesses.
Climate change is causing the average temperature to rise worldwide.
In some places, however, the climatic changes are also leading to more frequent – and above all more extreme – cold waves.
The temperature fluctuations also have a major impact on health.
Extremely low temperatures in winter appear to be significantly more dangerous than occasional hot days, as data from a recent global study suggest.
According to this, mortality in cold temperatures is around a third higher than in temperatures with the lowest mortality rate.
According to the scientists, cardiovascular diseases are the most common cause of death.
The findings were published in the American Heart Association's (AHA) scientific journal,
Circulation
.
More deaths from cardiovascular disease on cold days
As part of the study, Barrak Alahmad's team analyzed patients from a total of 567 cities in 27 countries spread across five continents.
The researchers examined more than 32 million deaths caused by cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks, strokes or chronic heart failure in the years from 1979 to 2019.
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Extreme cold appears to be more detrimental to health than heat.
© Rafa Cortes/Imago
In order to take into account the influence of the otherwise prevailing climatic conditions, the researchers chose for each region where cardiovascular mortality was the lowest.
The scientists also estimate extreme values to be those temperatures that represent around one percent of the coldest or hottest days – compared to days with the lowest mortality.
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Chronic heart failure poses a particular risk
The result: Extreme cold seems to be significantly more dangerous for the heart and circulatory system than heat.
On days with particularly low temperatures, the probability of dying from a heart attack or chronic heart failure was about 33 percent higher.
This was only surpassed by the risk of dying from a stroke (37 percent).
On days with extreme heat, however, mortality from a heart attack or chronic heart failure was only around seven percent higher.
Mortality from fatal strokes was just under 10 percent on hot days.
Chronic heart failure seems to pose a particularly high risk on cold days.
"Heart failure was associated with the highest excess mortality on extremely hot and extremely cold days - with 2.6 more deaths per 1,000 (from this disease) in extreme heat and with 12.8 more deaths per 1,000 from heart failure," the researchers explain their study.
This article only contains general information on the respective health topic and is therefore not intended for self-diagnosis, treatment or medication. In no way does it replace a visit to the doctor. Unfortunately, our editors are not allowed to answer individual questions about clinical pictures.
Rubric list image: © Rafa Cortes/Imago