Extreme weather temperatures, both hot and cold, may be associated with increased risks of death from heart disease and stroke in patients with heart conditions, according to findings from the EXHAUSTION Project presented Aug. 26 during ESC Congress 2022 in Barcelona.

Investigators assessed data from 2.28 million adults with and without heart disease from five cohort studies conducted in Italy, Germany, the UK, Norway, and Sweden between 1994 and 2010. The average age of participants ranged from 49.7 years to 71.7 years and the proportion of women ranged from 36.0% to 54.5%. Data on mortality and new-onset disease were collected through death and disease registries and follow up surveys. Daily average air temperatures at participants' home addresses were collected from local weather stations or estimated using modelling of temperature data from weather stations.

Results found cold weather was associated with an increased risk of death from both cardiovascular disease overall and ischemic heart disease. It was also tied to an elevated risk of new-onset ischemic heart disease. With an approximately 10°C temperature drop, from 5°C to -5°C, there was a 19% greater risk of death from cardiovascular disease and a 22% elevated likelihood of death from ischemic heart disease. Study author Stefan Agewall, MD, PhD, FACC. noted that relationships between cold temperatures and deaths were more pronounced in men and people living in neighborhoods with a low socioeconomic status. Additionally, he said links between cold and new-onset ischemic heart disease were greater among women and people older than 65 years.

While hot weather was not related to detrimental effects in the overall study population, temperature rises from 15°C to 24°C were associated with increased risks of death from cardiovascular disease (25%) and stroke (30%) in individuals with heart disease at baseline.

"Clinicians can use this information to provide tailored advice to those most at risk of adverse health outcomes during hot and cold days," said Agewall. "Patients with heart conditions should stay hydrated in hot weather and adhere to advice from their cardiologist on medication use. We can all check the news for extreme heat and cold alerts and follow safety tips from local authorities."

Keywords: ESC Congress, ESC22, Temperature, Cold Temperature, Cardiovascular Diseases, Extreme Heat, Extreme Weather, Myocardial Ischemia, Stroke, Outcome Assessment, Health Care, Heart Diseases, Registries

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