Hot weather raises risk of stroke in older people

According to research presented at ESC Asia, a scientific congress put on by the European Society of Cardiology (ESC), the Asian Pacific Society of Cardiology (APSC), and the Asean Federation of Cardiology, emergency visits for stroke are increased after a heatwave (AFC).”Climate change and global warming are worldwide problems and stroke is a leading cause of death,” said study author Dr Ryohei Fujimoto of Tsuyama Central Hospital and Department of Epidemiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, Japan.”Our study indicates that older adults may be more susceptible to stroke after exposure to hot weather. Preventative measures such as insulated housing and air conditioning should be considered a public health priority to protect people from this debilitating and life-threatening disease.” There is little information on the effects of high temperatures on the risk of stroke.This study examined the association between heat exposure and emergency visits for stroke in older adults. The study included 3,367 residents of Okayama, a city in Western Japan. Participants were aged 65 years or older and were transported to emergency hospitals between 2012 and 2019 for the onset of stroke during and several months after the rainy season.