Extreme heat set to more than double heart disease burden in Australia by 2050s: Study

Extreme heat is projected to more than double the burden of cardiovascular disease in Australia by the 2050s, a new study said Monday.

Hot weather is a major contributor to heart disease in Australia, responsible for 7.3% of the total cardiovascular disease burden, according to research published in the European Heart Journal.

The study also said that this figure could double or even triple by the middle of the century if the current trend of greenhouse gas emissions continues.

Between 2003 and 2018, hot weather accounted for nearly 50,000 years of healthy life lost annually, with South Australia experiencing the highest impact and the Northern Territory the lowest.

"When the weather is hot, our hearts have to work harder to help us cool down. This added pressure can be dangerous, especially for people with cardiovascular disease," said Bi Peng, the research lead from the University of Adelaide Public Health and Environmental Medicine.

"Many of us have experienced how a warming climate can make us feel unwell, particularly during longer periods of extreme heat," Bi said, adding the exact number of people living with severe heart disease or dying prematurely due to rising temperatures remains uncertain.

It is crucial to understand how this burden will grow in the future.

Using a measure called disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), researchers found that hot weather is responsible for an average of almost 50,000 years of healthy life lost to cardiovascular disease every year among people in Australia.

DALYs quantify the number of years of healthy life lost through either illness or death.

The study underscores the urgent need for adaptation and mitigation strategies, including urban cooling initiatives, public health campaigns and emergency response measures in hot days.

While the study focuses on Australia, researchers note that the link between heat and heart disease is a global concern.

According to Bi, investing in climate mitigation and adaptation strategies could significantly reduce the future impact of heat-related cardiovascular disease worldwide.