Climate change significantly increases stroke risk

Excess Warm Night Index (EST)

21. May 2024 11:38 p.m. Robert Klatt

Nighttime temperatures are increasing particularly quickly due to climate change. As a result, tropical nights are more common in Germany, during which the risk of stroke increases.

Munich, Germany). A study by the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) recently showed that a large proportion of Germans (73%) believe that climate change could significantly or seriously harm their health. This is reflected, for example, in the increase in heat deaths, which are also occurring more and more frequently in Germany due to the increased frequency of heat waves. Researcher of Helmholtz Center Munich – German Research Center for Health and Environment (Helmholtz Munich) and the Augsburg University Hospital around Dr. Alexandra Schneider have just discovered another health consequence of climate change.

According to their publication in European Journal of the Heart Due to climate change, so-called tropical nights, which are EST based on the Hot Night Excess Index (EST), are increasing. The HNE records the extent to which temperatures exceed a certain limit at night. The threshold value in the present study is 14.6 degrees Celsius. The HNE index also records the extent to which the temperature has exceeded the limit value during the night.

Influence on the risk of stroke

The researchers therefore studied whether the risk of stroke increased on tropical nights. To do this, they analyzed data from around 11,000 strokes that occurred over the past 15 years at the University Hospital Augsburg.

“We wanted to understand how high nighttime temperatures pose a health risk. This is important because climate change means nighttime temperatures are rising much faster than daytime temperatures.

As Dr. Cheng He explains, data shows that the risk of stroke increases significantly (+7%) during high nighttime heat. In the catchment area of ​​the University Hospital Augsburg, there were two additional strokes per year due to tropical nights between 2006 and 2012. Between 2013 and 2020, when the number of hot nights was higher, they caused 33 additional strokes per year.

“Elderly people and women are particularly at risk, as strokes with mild symptoms are diagnosed in clinics after hot nights. Our results clearly show that adjustments in urban planning and health care are extremely important in reducing the risks associated with rising nighttime temperatures.

Reducing thermal intensity in cities

According to the authors, the results of the study show that the population should be better protected from heat, for example through appropriate urban planning measures. According to Schneider, the findings also serve as a basis for other studies examining targeted stroke prevention measures.

“The sooner these preventive measures are implemented, the better. »

European Heart Journal, doi: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehae277