The Perils of Heat Waves for Vulnerable Older Adults

Medscape November 11, 2024
Edited by Manasi Talwadekar

TOPLINE:

Heat waves are associated with an increase in heat-related emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and deaths among dually eligible individuals older than 65 years.

METHODOLOGY:

• The researchers conducted a retrospective time-series study using national Medicare and Medicaid data from 2016 to 2019 to assess the link between heat waves during warm months and adverse health events.
• A total of 5,448,499 dually eligible individuals (66% women; 20% aged ≥ 85 years) were included from 28,404 zip code areas across 50 states and Washington, DC.
• Heat waves were defined as three or more consecutive days of extreme heat with a maximum temperature of at least 90 °F and within the 97th percentile of daily maximum temperatures for each zip code.
• Primary...

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