Dr. Sheffield said the study raises “important questions like, Does the timing of heat exposure matter (going in and out of air-conditioned spaces for example)? and Could some people be more vulnerable than others based on things like what they eat, whether they exercise, or their genetics?”
The study comes on the heels of a report released earlier this month from the World Meteorological Organization noting that climate change indicators reached record levels in 2023.
“The most critical challenges facing medicine are occurring at the intersection of climate and health, underscoring the urgent need to understand how climate-related factors, such as exposure to more extreme temperatures, shift key regulatory systems in our bodies to contribute to disease,” Dr. Wright told this news organization.
The study was supported by grants from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. Dr. Riggs, Dr. Wright, and Sheffield had no relevant disclosures.
A version of this article appeared on Medscape.com.