SC Connecticut News

Researchers from Yale School of Public Health and Yale School of Medicine have published a study indicating that short-term exposure to high ambient temperatures may significantly increase the risk of stroke among individuals aged 18 to 64, with women being particularly vulnerable. This research analyzed health records from over one million people across the United States.

Dr. Xiaomei Ma, co-senior author and professor at YSPH, stated, "Climate change is one of the most significant public health challenges of our time." The study highlights the importance of assessing climate change's health impacts for better adaptation and intervention strategies.

Published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, this study focused on younger adults due to an increasing burden of stroke within this demographic. The authors pointed out that while strokes are typically associated with factors like high blood pressure and sedentary lifestyles, environmental elements such as temperature also play a role.

Dr. Kai Chen, another co-senior author, emphasized that short-term exposure to high temperatures could be a significant stroke risk factor for younger adults. He noted women's increased vulnerability to heat compared to men: “The vulnerability in women is biologically plausible given the different physiological conditions and stroke risk factors in women and men.”

The study utilized a large nationwide health claims database to evaluate how short-term exposure to varying temperatures affected stroke risk among individuals aged 18-64 years. It incorporated demographic data and used the Social Deprivation Index to account for sociodemographic factors contributing to stroke vulnerability.

These findings could influence public health policy as climate change presents new challenges. They underscore temperature as a modifiable environmental risk factor for stroke and highlight the need for targeted interventions for at-risk populations, especially younger adults and women.

The research adds evidence that rising temperatures might exacerbate health disparities. Drs. Chen and Ma highlighted their collaboration's value stemming from diverse academic backgrounds in addressing stroke risks from environmental health and chronic disease perspectives.

Additional contributors include Drs. Lingzhi Chu, Rong Wang from YSPH, and Cary Gross from both Yale School of Medicine and YSPH.