Nonlinear curves found for daytime-only and nighttime-only heatwaves, while compound heatwaves linked to steady increase in mortality<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter<\/b>
\n<\/b><\/p>\n
TUESDAY, April 15, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Exposure-response curves reveal the impacts of daytime-only, nighttime-only, and compound heatwaves on cause-specific heart disease mortality, according to study published in the April 8 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology<\/em>.<\/p>\n Xue Yu, M.D., from Beijing Hospital, and colleagues collected heart disease death records for individuals across Mainland China from 2013 to 2019. Daytime-only, nighttime-only, and day-night compound heatwaves were defined, and the excess cumulative temperatures in heatwaves (ECT-HW) metric was calculated. Exposure-response curves were explored and used to estimate the corresponding mortality burden.<\/p>\n A total of 2,392,254 heart disease deaths were evaluated. The researchers found that across the entire range of ECT-HW, mortality risks associated with compound heatwaves exhibited a steady increase, without a discernible threshold. Risks from nighttime-only heatwaves were seen beyond the 25th percentile of ECT-HW and stabilized after the 90th percentile, while risks from daytime-only heatwaves were stable between the 50th and 95th percentile and then increased. Significantly higher heart disease mortality risk was seen for compound heatwaves versus nighttime-only and daytime-only heatwaves (odds ratios, 1.86, 1.16, and 1.19, respectively). Overall, 41,869, 9,092, and 9,809 excess cardiac deaths were estimated to be associated with compound, nighttime-only, and daytime-only heatwaves, respectively, which accounted for 1.75, 0.38, and 0.41 percent of total heart disease deaths.<\/p>\n \u201cAs climate change accelerates, the shifting and emerging heatwave exposure pattern demands better metrics and targeted interventions,\u201d coauthor Renjie Chen, Ph.D., of Fudan University in Shanghai, China, said in a statement. \u201cGiven the increasing frequency and intensity of compound heatwaves due to climate change, our findings highlight the need for disease-specific prevention strategies and revised public health guidelines to better protect at-risk populations.\u201d<\/p>\n Abstract\/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)<\/a><\/p>\n Editorial (subscription or payment may be required)<\/a><\/p>\n