A new study shows that the recent heatwave in North America has taken a toll, with record-breaking temperatures leading to increased mortality rates. The study has shown that deaths from hyperthermia have risen by 1.7% in Canada and by 2.8% in the United States during this time, while median death rates have decreased by 3% in Canada and 0.8% in the United States. So while there is no direct cause-and-effect relationship between these two factors, this study reveals how much higher temperatures are taking a toll on human life around the globe now more than ever before to date, with studies like this showing how much hotter it’s getting due to climate change.
The study, titled “Heatwave-associated mortality in Canada and the United States: A comparison of 2016 and 2005–2013” has been published in the "Journal of Environmental Medicine". It studies deaths that have occurred in Canada and the United States, and is composed of three parts. The first part is a review of past studies on hyperthermia, which is also known as heatstroke. In this section, it states that hyperthermia is a serious medical condition that occurs when a person’s core body temperature hits 104 degrees Fahrenheit or above. The second part looks at mortality rates due to hyperthermia in various regions across the world for the years 2005 to 2013. This is done using data from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, which reveals that there were an estimated 83,000 hyperthermia-related hospitalizations in the United States during those years. This is composed of more than 23,000 hyperthermia-related deaths. The third part looks at death rates in both countries for the years 2016 and 2013. This uses data from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation to get a global snapshot on heatwave-related mortality around the world for these two time periods.
This research shows that mortality rates due to hyperthermia have risen throughout North America during this time period by 1.7% in Canada and 2. The sudden death rate reported is 719 at the end of June and beginning of July. This estimated number is reported to be thrice more than any average tally.
