Healthcare

9 European cities has been investigated recently by researchers as part of the EuroHEAT project.
The project to evaluate the specific contribution of heat wave events to mortality, allowing for a comparison among cities. Both temperature and humidity levels during the day, as well as high nighttime temperatures, were considered when defining heat waves.

Those cities including;
- Athens, Greece,
- Barcelona, Spain,
- Budapest, Hungary,
- London, United Kingdom,
- Milan, Italy,
- Munich, Germany,
- Paris, France,
- Rome, Italy,
- Valencia, Spain.

According to their study, the effect of heat waves on European cities and the heat wave intensity showed increasing risk in total daily mortality with heat waves especially in elderly women that mostly from respiratory causes.

This findings reported in July 15 in Environmental Health by Daniela D’Ippoliti, PhD, from the Regional Health Authority, Rome, and colleagues.

According to the researchers, those study is the first in Europe to compare the impact of heat waves on mortality in different cities using a common heat wave definition and a standardized methodological approach.

The definition of heat wave was a period of at least 2 days when Tappmax, an interaction between maximum air temperature and humidity, was among the highest monthly 10%, with Tappmax above the average.

According to the researchers. a greater effect of heat waves of longer duration and high intensity was observed in most cities, and the findings suggest that heat wave duration has a greater effect on mortality than intensity.

They also reported that when stratified by sex and age, the greatest increase in mortality was “observed for respiratory disease and among aged 75-84 years.”

Dr. D’Ippoliti and colleagues concluded, “considering our results, prevention programs should specifically target the elderly, especially women, and those suffering from chronic respiratory disorders, in order to reduce in the future the burden of heat-related mortality.”