Baltimore – Short-term exposure to outdoor heat may trigger respiratory disorders among elderly people, suggests a new study from Johns Hopkins University.
Using data on 12.5 million Medicare beneficiaries from 1998 to 2008, researchers found a link between hot weather and emergency hospitalizations for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and respiratory tract infections. On average, respiratory-related hospitalizations increased 4.3 percent for every increase of 10° F in daily mean summer temperature, according to the study abstract.
The link was strongest on the day of exposure and remained high the next day.
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The study was published online March 14 in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
