Brazil Study Shows Climate Change's Deadly Impact on Kidneys

• Robert Preidt
• November 1, 2021
• Full Page

Global warming may pose a threat to your kidneys, new research suggests.

For the study, researchers analyzed data from hospitals in more than 1,800 cities in Brazil between 2000 and 2015, and found that just over 7% of all admissions for kidney disease could be attribute...

Climate Change Is Already Harming Many Americans' Health: Report

• Robert Preidt
• October 29, 2021
• Full Page

Climate change is already making Americans sick and researchers warn that the nation must take swift action to protect people's well-being.

"Climate change effects aren't just an abstraction, something that will happen years from now. They are happening today, and they i...

Climate Change Could Bring Rising Obesity Rates

• Robert Preidt
• October 14, 2021
• Full Page

You can add obesity and its related health risks to the long list of threats posed by climate change, researchers report.

In a new review, researchers from Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia outlined the association between climate change and obesity.

As globa...

'Extreme Heat' Days Have Tripled Since 1980s, and More Are Coming

• Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
• October 13, 2021
• Full Page

Urban dwellers around the globe are sweating through three times as many "extreme heat" days as their counterparts did in the 1980s, a new study suggests.

The study is the latest to chart humans' growing exposure to dangerously high temperatures. Experts said it looked a...

Climate Change is World's Most Pressing Health Problem: WHO

• Robert Preidt and Robin Foster
• October 12, 2021
• Full Page

Climate change is the "single biggest health threat facing humanity," and governments must "act with urgency" to tackle the crisis, a World Health Organization (WHO) special report warns.

In advance of a United Nation's climate change summit in early November, groups rep...

Kids in Marching Bands Under Threat From Heat Illness

• Steven Reinberg
• September 20, 2021
• Full Page

It's not just athletes on the field who suffer when outdoor temperatures get too high. Members of college and high school marching bands are at increased risk of heat-related illness, too, researchers warn.

"They go out there, and they often wear these really heavy wool ...

More Than 230 Medical Journals Issue Joint Statement on Health Dangers of Global Warming

• Cara Murez
• September 7, 2021
• Full Page

An editorial written jointly by the editors of more than 230 medical journals worldwide has a grim warning for humanity: Climate change is making people sick -- and it's going to get worse.

As reported by CNN, the same global warming that's causing extreme weat...

Global Warming Could Worsen COPD Symptoms

• Robert Preidt
• September 3, 2021
• Full Page

Hotter weather driven by climate change is bad news for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a new study warns.

Researchers say warming trends could worsen COPD symptoms, such as shortness of breath, wheezing or coughing. Millions of people have CO...

The Heat Is On: Staying Safe When Temperatures Soar

• Robert Preidt
• July 27, 2021
• Full Page

Midsummer heat and high humidity aren't just uncomfortable -- they're a combo that can cause serious illness and even death.

"Whenever you walk or do outdoor activity, take a friend with you who can help you if you run into trouble," Dr. Eleanor Dunham advised. She's an ...

Pregnant Women Need to Take Care in Sweltering Summer Heat

• Cara Murez
• July 24, 2021
• Full Page

This summer has brought dangerous, record-breaking heat to parts of the United States and Canada. The hot weather poses an extra challenge for pregnant women.

Mothers-to-be need to stay cool to avoid heat exhaustion and its complications, according to an expert at Baylor...

Extreme Heat Hits Poorer Neighborhoods Harder

• Robert Preidt
• July 15, 2021
• Full Page

Extreme heat strikes poor and minority neighborhoods in U.S. cities harder than those that are wealthier and mainly white, a new study finds.

"The distribution of excess urban heat varies within cities, and as a result, communities do not share a city's extreme heat burd...

Climate Change Already Causes 5 Million Extra Deaths Per Year

• Robert Preidt
• July 8, 2021
• Full Page

Climate change has already become deadly enough to cause 5 million extra deaths worldwide each year, researchers report.

"This is the first study to get a global overview of mortality due to non-optimal temperature conditions between 2000 and 2019, the hottest period sin...

How Much Do Trees Lower Urban Temperatures?

• Robert Preidt
• June 28, 2021
• Full Page

Could trees be the key to a cool summer in the city?

Yes, claims new research that calculated just how much greenery can bring temperatures down.

"We've long known that the shade of trees and buildings can provide cooling," said study co-author Jean-Michel Guldmann...

Global Warming to Blame for 1 in 3 Heat-Related Deaths Worldwide

• Robert Preidt
• June 2, 2021
• Full Page

Human-caused global warming is responsible for more than one-third of heat-related deaths worldwide, but the proportion is much higher in certain countries, a new study finds.

Researchers analyzed data gathered between 1991 and 2018 from 732 locations in 43 countries. Th...

Summer Safety Tips for the Great Outdoors

• May 30, 2021
• Full Page

As you head into the great outdoors this summer, keep safety in mind, an expert says.

Drowning is one of summer's risks. It only takes a few seconds and can happen without an obvious struggle, according to Dr. Seth Hawkins, a wilderness medicine expert and assistant prof...

Global Warming Could Bring More Stillbirths, Study Warns

• Robert Preidt
• May 27, 2021
• Full Page

Rising temperatures caused by climate change could trigger a worldwide increase in stillbirths, researchers warn.

The team at the University of Queensland in Australia analyzed 12 studies on the subject. They found that exposure to extremely high temperatures throughout ...

Heat Waves Topping 132 Degrees F Likely in Middle East Without Action on Climate Change

• Robert Preidt
• April 30, 2021
• Full Page

The Middle East and North Africa are already among the hottest spots on the planet, but new research warns that if nothing is done to slow climate change there will be life-threatening heat waves with temperatures of 132 Fahrenheit or higher in those regions.

"Our resul...

One Reason It's Hotter in Poorer Neighborhoods: Fewer Trees

• Robert Preidt
• April 29, 2021
• Full Page

Poor neighborhoods in the United States have fewer trees and are hotter than richer neighborhoods, new research shows.

In the study, the researchers assessed tree cover in the 100 largest urban areas of the country.

In nine out of 10 communities, there was less tre...

Global Warming Could Make Survival in Tropics Impossible: Study

• Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
• March 8, 2021
• Full Page

Limiting global warming to targets proposed in the Paris Agreement could keep tropical regions from reaching temperatures that are beyond human tolerability, a new study projects.

Researchers estimate that if countries are able to cap warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius above...

How Climate Change Could Put More MS Patients in Danger

• March 2, 2021
• Full Page

When temperatures rise, people with multiple sclerosis need to keep cool. Heat sensitivity is a hallmark of the central nervous system disorder.

So, what happens when warm weather spikes become more frequent because of climate change?

More MS patients end up in the...

Hot Asphalt Releases a Lot of Pollution Into the Air

• Dennis Thompson
• September 2, 2020
• Full Page

Asphalt baking in the summer sunshine is no fun for tender feet, but a new study suggests it's not doing your lungs any favors either.

As it heats up, asphalt releases chemical compounds that contribute to air pollution. And its emissions double as its temperature in...

Climate Change Could Bring Heat 'Health Crisis' to U.S. Cities

• Amy Norton
• August 18, 2020
• Full Page

Some of the leading hotspots in the United States are on track to become even more sweltering in the coming decades -- thanks to a combination of greenhouse gas emissions, urban development and population growth.

In a new study, researchers estimate that over the cou...

Expert Tips to Help You Beat the Heat

• Robert Preidt
• July 23, 2020
• Full Page

With much of the United States blanketed by a heat wave this week, the American Red Cross offers some survival tips.

Each year, extreme heat kills more than 600 people in the United States. And many others are at risk of heat-related illness, especially adults aged 6...

Heat Kills More Americans Than Previously Thought

• Steven Reinberg
• June 23, 2020
• Full Page

Heat is an underestimated killer in the United States, a new study suggests.

According to researchers, death records indicate that heat kills as many as 600 hundred Americans each year, but moderate heat may actually be killing more than 5,000 annually. And the socia...

Don't Be a 'Hot-Head': Study Suggests Head Overheating Impairs Thinking

• Steven Reinberg
• June 22, 2020
• Full Page

Can working or playing in the hot sun "fry" your brain?

Yes, claims a new, small study that found too much heat on the head hampered thinking in volunteers.

Most people know that high temperatures can cause heat exhaustion or heat stroke as the body's core ...

Climate Change, Smog Could Mean More Preemie Babies: Study

• Amy Norton
• June 18, 2020
• Full Page

Here's more bad news associated with climate change: Pregnant women exposed to air pollution or heat waves face a greater risk of having a preterm or underweight baby, a new research review finds.

The review, of 68 studies from across the United States, found that th...

Why Some Dogs Are at Higher Odds of Dying From Heat

• Amy Norton
• June 18, 2020
• Full Page

As summer temperatures soar, dogs are at risk of potentially fatal heat-related illness -- and certain ones appear particularly vulnerable, a large new study confirms.

The study, of more than 900,000 dogs, found that older pooches and those who carried extra pounds w...

Planet Already Seeing Temperatures Beyond Human Tolerability

• Amy Norton
• May 8, 2020
• Full Page

Researchers have predicted that if climate change goes unabated, the planet will experience intolerable heat in several decades. But a new study has found that in certain global hot spots, it's already happening.

In recent years, certain regions -- including the Pers...

Dangerously Hot Days for U.S. Farm Workers Could Double by 2050

• Robert Preidt
• May 5, 2020
• Full Page

Dangerously hot days for crop pickers in the United States will double over the next three decades because of climate change, a new study warns.

"Studies of climate change and agriculture have traditionally focused on crop yield projections, especially staple crops l...

Broiling in a Heat Wave? Wet T-shirt Can Safely Cool You Down

• Robert Preidt
• April 13, 2020
• Full Page

A wet T-shirt may cool seniors more effectively than an electric fan in hot, humid weather, reducing their risk of heat-related illness, according to a new study.

It included adult volunteers, average age 68, who sat for two hours in a room with an air temperature of...

Extreme Heat of Climate Change Could Triple Heart-Related Deaths

• Robert Preidt
• April 1, 2020
• Full Page

Heart disease deaths spike with extreme heat, and rising temperatures due to climate change may lead to a surge in such deaths in hot regions, researchers say.

For the study, the investigators analyzed 2010 to 2016 data on more than 15,000 heart-related deaths among ...

Climate Change's Hotter Days Will Take Toll on Mental Health

• Amy Norton
• March 25, 2020
• Full Page

As the days heat up, people tend to report more emotional distress, a new study finds, adding to concerns that global warming could take a growing mental health toll.

The study of more than 3 million Americans found that the longer people had to sweat out 80-degree d...

High Heat, Humidity Could Affect More Than 1.2 Billion People by End of Century

• Steven Reinberg
• March 24, 2020
• Full Page

As the Earth continues to warm from climate change, an estimated 1.2 billion people will be affected by heat stress from extreme heat and humidity by 2100, a new study predicts.

That is four times more people than are affected today and over 12 times more than would...

Climate Change May Translate Into More Fatal Injuries

• Amy Norton
• January 13, 2020
• Full Page

If climate change continues unabated, the United States should prepare for an increase in deaths from injuries, a new study claims.

Looking at data on injury deaths and temperature over 38 years, researchers found a correlation between unusually high temperatures and...

For Muslim Pilgrimage, Climate Change Poses Health Risks

• Robert Preidt
• August 28, 2019
• Full Page

Climate change-caused increases in heat and humidity could put Muslims making the pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia in "extreme danger," a new study warns.

This pilgrimage, known as the Hajj, involves several days of activities, including 20 to 30 hours outdoors. <...

How to Protect a Loved One With Dementia During a Heat Wave

• Robert Preidt
• August 19, 2019
• Full Page

Heat waves can pose a serious risk to people with Alzheimer's disease, so their families should know how to keep them safe, advocates say.

Extreme heat is "dangerous for everyone, but especially for someone with Alzheimer's disease, who may be unable to spot the warn...

August Is Deadliest Month for Young Football Players

• Steven Reinberg
• August 12, 2019
• Full Page

It is an annual rite of summer: sending young men out on football fields across America in the sweltering August heat for grueling practice sessions designed to prepare them for the coming season.

But a new study shows the ritual can be costly if players are pushed t...

Heat Waves Brought by Climate Change Could Prove Deadly for Kidney Patients

• Robert Preidt
• August 9, 2019
• Full Page

New research uncovers yet another population that will be vulnerable to the heat waves that climate change is delivering with increasing frequency: people with kidney disease.

Extremely hot days can increase advanced kidney disease patients' risk of hospitalization...

In Heat Waves, Fans May Do More Harm Than Good

• Dennis Thompson
• August 6, 2019
• Full Page

Thinking of picking up an electric fan to help keep you cool and protect your health during the next heat wave?

You might want to think again.

Electric fans might make you feel cooler, but they can actually increase your risk of becoming heat sick and even ...

As Heat Bakes the Nation, Expert Offers Tips to Stay Safe

• Robert Preidt
• July 18, 2019
• Full Page

The heat is on.

Across two-thirds of the United States, over 115 million Americans live where some level of heat alert is already in effect, and 290 million will see temperatures soar past 90 degrees at some point in the next week, USA Today reported Wednesday...

Keeping the Lid on Global Warming Could Save American Lives

• Alan Mozes
• June 5, 2019
• Full Page

A new analysis suggests the Trump administration should have considered how unchecked climate change might harm U.S. citizens before it pulled out of a pact aimed at slowing down the pace of global warming.

In the study, researchers calculated that tens of thousands ...

More Back-to-Back Heat Waves Will Come With Climate Change

• Alan Mozes
• May 15, 2019
• Full Page

Here's another health danger climate change will deliver in the coming years: New research warns that back-to-back heat waves that go on for days will become more common as the planet warms.

The elderly and the poor will be the least prepared to weather this threat, ...