For epidemiologist Mathilde Pascal, in public health France, the medium and long -term impact of repeated exhibitions at temperature peaks is still poorly known.
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Epidemiologist, Mathilde Pascal is project manager “Climate change and health” at Public Health France.
What data do we have concerning the impact of heat peaks in terms of mortality?
For a long time, these risks have been little studied. Studies started from the moment there were deadly and striking heat waves, first in the United States and in particular in Chicago, in 1995, then more broadly from 2003. From this historic heat wave, responsible From 70,000 deaths in Europe, there have been many works all over the world on the links between temperature and mortality, with enormous progress in terms of methods.
The risk of death linked to temperature elevations is not easy to model but we know that it does not increase in linearly. For non -extreme temperatures, and of frequent occurrence, the death of death is low, even if in total it is not negligible.
For exceptional temperatures as we are experiencing them, the risk of death grows strongly, essentially within three days of the peak. At this level, an additional degree can make a significant risk difference.
Of course, some populations are particularly vulnerable: those whose thermoregulation is less effective because of their age (young children, the elderly), a chronic pathology or the taking of certain drugs. There are also professionally exposed individuals or the homeless. But, at a certain level of temperature, we can consider that the vulnerable population is everyone.
The most specific effect of hot weather on the body is hyperthermia by failure of the thermoregulation system, which is a vital emergency. But it is not the only one. Scientific literature clearly shows that there is also an increase in respiratory, heart, renal problems … In fact, heat -related deaths can be of different natures. More recently, we have started to study the consequences in workers, and in mental health. A worrying point is the few studies concerning the effects of heat waves on pregnancies, especially at their beginning and their end. It is acquired that heat peaks promote prematurity and low birth weight, but there is still little data in pregnant women.
the prevention measures implemented after the heat wave of 2003 do they reduce the mortality of these episodes?
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