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Cardiovascular Deaths Linked to Global Warming

November 27th, 2007 | by Timothy Kintzel, M.D. |

Death risk from stroke and heart disease may be linked to global warming, so say researchers at UC Irvine.  The recent study showed that more heat and ozone, which come from global warming, appear to be strong factors in cardiovascular mortality.  The researchers looked at the cardiovascular death rate  in the US during the months of July through September for a 13 year peroid ending in 2000 and concluded that rising ozone levels and temperatures were directly related to this rate.  Days with lower amounts of ozone correlated to days with lower death rates. 

Researchers postulate that ozone exposure at high levels “can affect the airways and the autonomic nervous system, making people more susceptible to the effects of temperature changes” and thus, efforts to reduce global warming

Reference: Ren C et al, Occup Environ Med. 2007 Nov 22