Abnormal heat leads to death 17 times less than cold
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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To date, modern technology allows you to more easily experience adverse weather conditions, such as winter frosts or summer heat. However, until now a large number of deaths occur precisely because of weather conditions.
Abnormally high temperatures have been recorded in recent years in many countries. For example, in Japan, because of the heat, more than 400,000 people got to the hospital. In summer, thousands of people around the world die from heat shocks. But British experts in recent studies have found that the cold period poses a greater threat to life than abnormally high summer temperatures.
Antonio Gasparini, the author of the research project noted that it was always believed that it was on hot days that a large number of deaths occurred and scientists paid much attention to the waves of anomalous heat. The Gasparini group, by their research, showed that in reality everything is the opposite; it is during the cold period that the number of deaths increases.
Researchers examined the causes of death more than 70 million. People from different countries with different climates.
In each of the countries participating in the study, the average air temperature per day and the death rate were analyzed, and other factors that could influence the final result of the studies, such as air pollution or humidity level, were also taken into account.
Gasparini and his colleagues found that the cold weather and frosts in the past 30 years have caused more than 5 million deaths. Experts came to such conclusions after careful study of the data of local medical and statistical services from different parts of the world.
According to the research group, more than 70 million people died during the period chosen for the study, the weather conditions (abnormally high or low temperatures) were the cause of death or one of the main factors that led to death in about 8% of cases.
During the analysis, scientists found that in summer, when anomalously high temperatures were recorded, approximately 0.5% (slightly more than 300 thousand people) died, and in the cold or frosty weather, 17 times more people died (over 5 million people ).
After experts compared the strength of weather phenomena and the frequency of deaths, they were surprised a second time. As it turned out, 1% of the total number of deaths during this period died in extreme heat or cold, and at average temperatures 7% died, cold weather killed slightly more than 6% of people.
The cause of death, as scientists assumed, were acute respiratory infections, worsening in the autumn-winter period, and heart diseases.
Based on the findings, scientists urge the authorities of countries where abnormal weather conditions are noted should reconsider their policies, since the health of almost all countries is focused on eliminating the consequences of abnormally hot weather. Gasparini and his colleagues are sure that it is simply necessary to introduce measures that would protect the life and health of citizens in cold and frosty weather.
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