Researchers found that the majority of these strokes were due to temperatures below optimal temperature, but they also found an increase in strokes associated with temperatures above optimal temperature. did. Cold temperatures can cause blood vessels to constrict and increase blood pressure. High blood pressure is a risk factor for stroke. High temperatures can cause dehydration, which can affect cholesterol levels, slow blood flow, and even cause a stroke.

“Rapid temperature changes in recent years have affected human health and caused widespread concern,” said study author Dr. Quan Cheng of Xiangya Hospital Central South University in Changsha, China. “Our study finds that these temperature changes may increase the burden of stroke around the world, especially in older populations and in regions with high health disparities.

For the study, researchers looked at 30 years of health records from more than 200 countries and territories. They investigated the burden of stroke deaths and stroke-related disability due to suboptimal temperatures.

We then split the data to look at different regions, countries, and regions. They also looked at age groups and gender.

In 2019, there were 521,031 stroke deaths related to suboptimal temperatures. There were also 9.4 million disability-adjusted life years due to stroke associated with suboptimal temperatures. Disability-adjusted life years are the years of life lost due to premature death and the years lived with the disease.

When looking at cold temperatures compared to high temperatures, it was found that 474,002 of the total deaths were associated with cold temperatures.

The researchers found that male participants had a stroke death rate of 7.7 per 100,000 due to body temperature changes, compared to 5.9 per 100,000 for female participants.

By region, the highest rate of stroke deaths associated with suboptimal temperatures was in Central Asia, at 18 per 100,000 people. At the national level, North Macedonia had the highest death rate, at 33 per 100,000 people.

“Further research is needed to determine the impact of temperature changes on stroke and aim for solutions to address health inequalities,” Chen said. “Future research should aim to reduce this threat by finding effective health policies that address potential causes of climate change, such as fossil fuel combustion, deforestation, and industrial processes. ”

This research was supported by the Hunan Provincial Youth Science and Technology Talent Project.