Americans are more at risk from the deadly effects of heat than ever before, a new study found. Researchers from the Journal of the American Medical Association say there were 21,518 deaths from 1999-2023 where heat was either the underlying cause or the contributing cause of death, a possible underestimation, they say. In total, heat-related deaths have increased 117% since 1999.
The authors of the study, which was released Monday, used data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to calculate the mortality rates. While the number of heat-related deaths fluctuated year to year, there was a sharp uptick in the last seven years. According to the data, heat-related deaths increased by 16.
8% per year from 2016 to 2023 - and researchers expect the numbers to continue climbing. "As temperatures continue to rise because of climate change, the recent increasing trend is likely to continue," the authors wrote. Dr.
Jeffrey Howard, co-author of the study and associate professor at the University of Texas at San Antonio , said a mix of factors contributed to the upward trend after 2016. "It is likely that continued increases in average temperatures, the number of 'hot days' and the frequency and intensity of heat waves could be playing a role," he said. "There is also a social and behavioral component as well, including differences in access to air conditioning, outdoor work, the number of unhoused individuals, and things like that.
" Last year was not only the hottest year o.