CDC: Hot weather responsible for an average 702 deaths a year

The CDC is warning that the extreme heat can cause very serious health problems, including death.

News 12 Staff

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Jul 20, 2022, 12:23 PM

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Updated 644 days ago

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The CDC is warning that the extreme heat can cause very serious health problems, including death.

The say the hot weather is associated with an increase in heat-related illnesses, including cardiovascular and respiratory complications, renal failure, electrolyte imbalance, kidney stones, negative impacts on fetal health, and preterm birth. Specifically, death rates are noted to rise during and after heat waves. Deaths result from:

heat stroke and related conditions,
cardiovascular disease,
respiratory disease, and
cerebrovascular disease.

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Here are some eye-opening statistics that the CDC averages each year

702 heat-related deaths occur each year.
67,512 emergency department visits due to heat, on average.
9,235 people are hospitalized due to heat.

The good news is that some heat-related illness and death risks have decreased in recent decades, possibly due to better forecasting, heat-health early warning systems, and increased access to air conditioning for the U.S. population. Despite this, extreme heat events remain a cause of preventable death nationwide.