For Men Aged 60 to 64, CVD Deaths Up With Warmer Summer Nights

TUESDAY, March 29, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Warmer summer nights are associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) death among men aged 60 to 64 years, according to a study published online March 28 in BMJ Open.

Haris Majeed and John S. Floras, M.D., D.Phil., from the University of Toronto, performed a monthly time series analysis (June to July, 2001 to 2015) on sex-specific CVD deaths in England and Wales among adults aged 60 to 64 and 65 to 69 years. Associations between summer nocturnal surface air temperature (SAT) anomalies and CVD death rates were computed. Similar associations with respect to CVD death were examined for men aged 60 to 64 and 65 to 69 years in King County, Washington, USA, to explore external validity.

The researchers found that 39,912 CVD deaths (68.9 percent men) were recorded in England and Wales from 2001 to 2015 and 488 were recorded in King County. A 1 degree Celsius rise in anomalous summer nocturnal SAT was associated with a 3.1 percent significantly increased risk for CVD mortality among men aged 60 to 64 years in England and Wales, after adjustment for covariates. No associations were seen for men in the older age group or for women in either age group. In King County, a 1 degree Celsius increase in temperature was associated with a 4.8 percent significantly increased risk for CVD mortality among men aged 60 to 64 years, after adjustment for covariates.

"Considering the growing likelihood of extreme summers in Western USA and UK, our results invite preventive population health initiatives and novel urban policies aimed at reducing future risk of CVD events," the authors write.

Abstract/Full Text