It is widely believed that older people are at particular risk of dying from extreme heat in a warming planet.
However, a new study of mortality in Mexico, conducted by scientists from the Climate School of Columbia University (USA), turns this assumption on its head, reports EurekAlert.
The study found that 75% of heat-related deaths occurred in people under 35 years of age – a significant proportion of them between 18 and 35 years old, the very group that might be expected to be most affected. heat resistant.
This is a surprise. These are physiologically the most resilient people in the population, scientists emphasize.
The researchers chose Mexico for the study because it collects very detailed geographic data on mortality and daily temperatures.
The researchers reached their conclusions by correlating excess mortality—that is, the number of deaths above or below average—with temperature on a so-called “wet-bulb scale,” which measures the increased effects of heat combined with humidity.
The analysis showed that:
- from 1998 to 2019, about 3.3 thousand people died annually from heat in the country;
- of these, almost a third were among people aged 18 to 35 years – a figure that is not commensurate with the number of people in this age category;
- Children under five years of age, especially infants, are also very vulnerable;
- Oddly enough, the fewest deaths from heat occurred among people aged 50 to 70 years.
According to scientists, this may be due to several factors:
- Young people are more likely to work outdoors, including in agriculture and construction, and are therefore more prone to dehydration and heat stroke. The same applies to production in premises where there is no air conditioning. hierarchies and does the lion’s share of hard work with inflexible schedules;
- young people are also more likely to participate in strenuous outdoor sports;
- A preliminary separate analysis by Mexican researchers found that death certificates for working-age men were more likely to report extreme weather conditions than other groups.
Somewhat less surprising was the vulnerability of infants and young children:
- it is known that their body quickly absorbs heat, and the ability to sweat, and therefore cool down, is not yet fully developed;
- Their immune systems are also still developing, which can make them susceptible to diseases that become more common in humid heat, including vector-borne diseases and diarrheal diseases.
Using the same daily temperature and mortality data, the researchers found that older people died predominantly not from heat, but from moderate cold. chilly).
Additionally, older people tend to have lower body temperatures, making them more sensitive to cold. In response, they may tend to stay indoors, where infectious diseases spread more easily, the researchers note.
At the same time, scientists note that despite all the attention paid to the dangers of global warming, large-scale studies have shown that cold, not heat, is now the leading cause of temperature-related mortality in the world, including in Mexico.
However, the proportion of heat-related deaths has been rising since at least 2000, and the trend is expected to continue.
We predict that as the climate warms, heat-related deaths will increase, and young people will suffer the most, the researchers note.
Source: EurekAlert
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I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.