Heat Waves Linked to Adverse Health Outcomes for Seniors

FRIDAY, Nov. 8, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- For dually eligible adults aged 65 years and older, heat waves are associated with increased adverse health events, according to a study published online Nov. 8 in JAMA Health Forum.

Hyunjee Kim, Ph.D., from the Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, and colleagues examined the association between heat waves in warm months from 2016 to 2019 and adverse health events among dually eligible individuals aged 65 years and older in a retrospective time-series study. Heat waves were defined as three or more consecutive extreme heat days.

The study sample included 5,448,499 beneficiaries aged 65 years and older in 28,404 zip code tabulation areas across 50 states and Washington, D.C. The researchers found that compared with non-heat wave days, the incidence rates for heat-related emergency department visits and heat-related hospitalizations were higher during the heat-wave days (incidence rate ratios, 1.10 and 1.07, respectively). Similar patterns were seen for other adverse health events, including the incidence of death during heat wave days (incidence rate ratio, 1.04). Across some subgroups, there were differences seen in the magnitude of these associations; for example, the association between heat waves and heat-related emergency department visits was only significant for individuals in the Northwest, Ohio Valley, and West climate regions.

"These findings underscore the vulnerability of this population during heat waves and emphasize the need for tailored adaptation strategies to prepare for the projected increase in intense and prolonged heat wave events," the authors write.

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