Abstract
In recent years, extreme weather has been recorded on every continent demanding adaptation of health care services to climate change. The aim of this chapter was to conduct a systematic review concerning the effects of temperature variation on the human cardiovascular system in order to access evidence of how heat and cold-waves are affecting health. A systematic search was conducted between December 15th and 25th via health-related databases: PubMed, Medline, LILACS, SciELO and Cochrane Library, using combinations of the DeCS/MeSH terms “ambient temperature”, “health” and “cardiovascular system” and their equivalent in Spanish and Portuguese, published between 2004 and 2014. A total of 47 publications were retrieved, 9 of which met the inclusion criteria. Some studies reported the potential effects of temperature on human health, mostly from high temperatures. The main effect of ambient temperature variation on human systems is abnormalities in blood vessels and homeostatic mechanisms, which trigger a series of responses that may affect the cardiovascular system. Papers from different countries report that changes in ambient temperature alter the profile of hospitalizations, with an increased incidence of cardiovascular disorders, particularly in individuals with predisposing factors or comorbidities, such as being elderly and having Type 2 diabetes. The conclusion is that high ambient temperatures are leading to increased incidence of cardiovascular diseases, mainly heatstroke, and the elderly is the most vulnerable age group.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Basu R (2009) High ambient temperature and mortality: a review of epidemiologic studies from 2001 to 2008. Environ Health 8:40
Basu R, Pearson D, Malig B, Broadwin R, Green R (2012) The effect of high ambient temperature on emergency room visits. Epidemiology 23:813–820
Bayentin L, El Adlouni S, Ouarda TB, Gosselin P, Doyon B, Chebana F (2010) Spatial variability of climate effects on ischemic heart disease hospitalization rates for the period 1989–2006 in Quebec, Canada. Int J Health Geogr 9:5
Berginer VM, Goldsmith J, Batz U, Vardi H, Shapiro Y (1989) Clustering of strokes in association with meteorologic factors in the Negev desert of Israel: 1981–1983. Stroke 20:65–69
Bhaskaran K, Hajat S, Haines A, Herrett E, Wilkinson P, Smeeth L (2009) Effects of ambient temperature on the incidence of myocardial infarction. Heart 95:1760–1769
Bittner I, Matthies F, Dalbokova D, Menne B (2014) Are European countries prepared for the next big heat-wave? Eur J Public Health 24(4):615–619
Blatteis CM (2012) Age-dependent changes in temperature regulation—a mini review. Gerontology 58:289–295
Carter R, Cheuvront SN, Williams JO, Kolka MA, Stephenson LA, Sawka MN, Amoroso PJ (2005) Epidemiology of hospitalizations and deaths from heat illness in soldiers. Med Sci Sports Exerc 37(8):1338–1344
Cesarino SV, Souza EP, Ferreira SSS, Rodrigues de Andrade JR (2013) Sazonalidades e coronariopatias: implicações, causas e consequências. Polêmica 12(2):757–763
Confalonieri UEC, Marinho DP (2007) Mudança Climática Global e Saúde: perspectivas para o Brasil. Revista Multiciência 8:48–64
Confalonieri UEC, Menne B, Akhtar R, Ebi KL, Hauengue M, Kovats RS, Revich B, Woodward A (2007) Human health. In: Parry ML, Canziani OF, Palutikof JP, van der Linden PJ, Hanson CE (eds) Climate change 2007: impacts, adaptation and vulnerability contribution of working group II to the fourth assessment report of the intergovernmental panel on climate change, vol 10. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, pp 391–431
Danet S, Richard F, Montaye M, Beauchant S, Lemaire B, Graux C, Cottel D, Marecaux N, Amouyel P (1999) Unhealthy effects of atmospheric temperature and pressure on the occurrence of myocardial infarction and coronary deaths. Circulation 100(1):E1–E7
Ebi KL, Exuzides KA, Lau E, Kelsh M, Barnston A (2004) Weather changes associated with hospitalizations for cardiovascular diseases and stroke in California, 1983–1998. Int J Biometeorol 49:48–58
Feigin VL, Nikitin YP, Bots ML, Vinogradova TE, Grobbee DE (2000) A population-based study of the associations of stroke occurrence with weather parameters in Siberia, Russia (1982–92). Eur J Neurol 7:171–178
Guo YM, Wang JJ, Li GX, Zheng YA, He W, Pan XC (2009) Association between temperature and hospital emergency room visits for cardiovascular diseases: a case crossover study. Zhonghua Liu Xing Bing XueZaZhi 30(8):810–815
Hampel R, Schneider A, Brüske I, Zareba W, Cyrys JR, Rückerl R, Breitner S, Korb H, Sunyer J, Wichmann HE, Peters A (2010) Altered cardiac repolarization in association with air pollution and air temperature among myocardial infarction survivors. Environ Health Perspect 118(12):1755–1761
Heppell R, Hawley SK, Channer KS (1991) Snow shoveller’s infarction. Br Med J 302:469–470
Hong YC, Kim H, Oh SY, Lim YH, Kim SY, Yoon HJ et al (2012) Association of cold ambient temperature and cardiovascular markers. Sci Total Environ 435–436:74–79
Hori A, Hashizume M, Tsuda Y, Tsukahara T, Nomiyama T (2012) Effects of weather variability and air pollutants on emergency admissions for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Int J Environ Health Res 22:416–430
Jie Y, Houjin H, Mengxue Y, Wei Q, Jie X (2014) A time series analysis of meteorological factors and hospital outpatient admissions for cardiovascular disease in the Northern district of Guizhou Province, China. Braz J Med Biol Res 47(8):689–696
Keatinge WR, Coleshaw SR, Cotter F, Mattock M, Murphy M, Chelliah R (1984) Increases in platelet and red cell counts, blood viscosity, and arterial pressure during mild surface cooling: factors in mortality from coronary and cerebral thrombosis in winter. Br Med J 289:1405–1408
Kendrovski V, Spasenovska M, Menne B (2014) The public health impacts of climate change in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Int J Environ Res Public Health 11(6):5975–5988
Kenney WL, Craighead DH, Alexander LM (2014) Heat waves, aging, and human cardiovascular health. Med Sci Sports Exerc 46(10):1891–1899
Koken PJM, Piver WT, Ye F, Elixhauser A, Olsen LM, Portier CJ (2003) Temperature, air pollution, and hospitalization for cardiovascular diseases among elderly people in Denver. Environ Health Perspect 111:1312–1317
Lavigne E, Gasparrini A, Wang X, Yagouti A, Fleury MD, Cakmak S (2014) Extreme ambient temperatures and cardiorespiratory emergency room visits: assessing risk by comorbid health conditions in a time series study. Environ Heal 13:5
Li Y, Cheng Y, Cui G, Peng C, Xu Y, Wang Y, Liu Y, Liu J, Li C, Wu Z, Bi P, Jin Y (2014) Association between high temperature and mortality in metropolitan areas of four cities in various climatic zones in China: a time-series study. Environ Heal 13:65
Liu L, Breitner S, Pan X, Franck U, Leitte AM, Wiedensohler A, von Klot S, Wichmann HE, Peters A, Schneider A (2011) Associations between air temperature and cardio-respiratory mortality in the urban area of Beijing, China: a time-series analysis. Environ Heal 10:51
Madrigano J, Mittleman MA, Baccarelli A, Goldberg R, Melly S, von Klot S et al (2013) Temperature, myocardial infarction, and mortality: effect modification by individual- and area-level characteristics. Epidemiology 24(3):439–446
Magalhães R, Silva MC, Corrêia M, Bailey T (2011) Are stroke occurrence and outcome related to weather parameters? Results from a population-based study in Northern Portugal. Cerebrovasc Dis 32:542–551
Marto N (2005) Ondas de Calor: impacto sobre a saúde. Acta Med Port 18:467–474
Mehta AJ, Kloog I, Zanobetti A, Coull BA, Sparrow D, Vokonas P et al (2014) Associations between changes in city and address specific temperature and QT interval: the VA normative aging study. PLoS ONE 9(9):1–9
Michelozzi P, Accetta G, Sario M, D’Ippoliti D, Marino C, Baccini M et al (2009) High temperature and hospitalizations for cardiovascular and respiratory causes in 12 European cities. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 179:383–389
Murara PG, Amorim MCCT (2010) Clima e saúde: variações atmosféricas e óbitos por doenças circulatórias. Rev Bras de Climat 6:79–92
Murara PG, Coelho MSZS, Amorim MCCT (2010) Análise da influência meteorológica nas internações por doenças cardiovasculares. Caderno Prudentino de Geografia 32(1):53–65
Ohshige K, Hori Y, Tochikubo O, Sugiyama M (2006) Influence of weather on emergency transport events coded as stroke: population-based study in Japan. Int J Biometeorol 50:305–311
Oktay C, Luk JH, Allegra JR, Kusoglu L (2009) The effect of temperature on illness severity in emergency department congestive heart failure patients. Ann Acad Med Singapore 38:1081–1084
Opper C, Hennig J, Clement C, Laschefski U, Dey D, Dieckwisch J et al (1995) Lowering of body temperature affects human platelet functions and norepinephrine release. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 51:217–221
Patz JA, Campbell-Lendrum D, Holloway T, Foley JA (2005) Impact of regional climate change on human health. Nature 438:310–317
Petkova EP, Morita H, Kinney PL (2014) Health impacts of heat in a changing climate: how can emerging science inform urban adaptation planning? Curr Epidemiol Rep 1:67–74
Ren C, ONeill MS, SK P, Sparrow D, Vokonas P, Schwartz J (2011) Ambient temperature, air pollution, and heart rate variability in an aging population. Am J Epidemiol 173(9):1013–1021
Rocklov J, Forsberg B (2008) The effect of temperature on mortality in Stockholm 1998–2003: a study of lag structures and heat wave effects. Scand J Public Health 36(5):516–523
Rogot E, Sorlie PD, Backlund E (1992) Air conditioning and mortality in hot weather. Am J Epidemiol 136:106–116
Schwartz J, Samet JM, Patz JA (2004) Hospital admissions for heart disease: the effects of temperature and humidity. Epidemiology 15:755–761
Silva EN, Ribeiro H (2012) Impact of urban atmospheric environment on hospital admissions in the elderly. Rev Saude Publica 46(4):694–701
Sosnowski P, Mikrut K, Krauss H (2015) Hypothermia-mechanism of action and pathophysiological changes in the human body. Postepy Hig Med Dosw 16:69–79
Souza VC, Souza EP, Silva SSF (2011) Hipertensão Arterial: uma visão sazonal da Estratégia Saúde da Família no município de Areia—Paraíba. Rev Saúde Públ 4(1)
Souza VC, Souza EP, Silva SSF (2012) Mapeando o cenário das doenças coronarianas: reflexões acerca das implicações meteorológicas. Rev Polêmica 11(1):113–120
Souza EC, Coelho AB, Lima JE, Cunha DA, Féres JG (2013) Impactos das mudanças climáticas sobre o bem-estar relacionado à saúde no Brasil. Pesqui Planej Econ 43(1):49–86
Turner LR, Barnett AG, Connell D, Tong S (2012) Ambient temperature and cardiorespiratory morbidity: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Epidemiology 23(4):594–606
Wang Y-C, Lin Y-K (2014) Association between temperature and emergency room visits for cardiorespiratory diseases, metabolic syndrome-related diseases, and accidents in metropolitan Taipei. PLoS One 9(6):e99599
Woodward A, Scheraga J (2003) Looking to the future: challenges for scientists studying climate change and health. In: McMichael A, Campbell-Lendrum D, Corvalan C et al (eds) Climate change and human health: risks and responses. World Health Organization, Geneva, pp 61–78
Ye X, Wolff R, Yu W, Vaneckova P, Pan X, Tong S (2012) Ambient temperature and morbidity: a review of epidemiological evidence. Environ Health Perspect 120(1):19–28
Zanobetti A, O’Neill MS, Gronlund CJ, Schwartz JD (2013) Susceptibility to mortality in weather extremes: effect modification by personal and small-area characteristics. Epidemiology 24(6):809–819
Zanobetti A, Luttmann-Gibson H, Horton ES, Cohen A, Coull BA, Hoffmann B, Schwartz JD, Mittleman MA, Li Y, Stone PH, de Souza C, Lamparello B, Koutrakis P, Gold DR (2014) Brachial artery responses to ambient pollution, temperature, and humidity in people with type 2 diabetes: a repeated-measures study. Environ Health Perspect 122(3):242–248
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2016 Springer International Publishing Switzerland
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Casas, A.L.F., Santos, G.M.D., Chiocheti, N.B., de Andrade, M. (2016). Effects of Temperature Variation on the Human Cardiovascular System: A Systematic Review. In: Leal Filho, W., Azeiteiro, U., Alves, F. (eds) Climate Change and Health. Climate Change Management. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-24660-4_5
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-24660-4_5
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-24658-1
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-24660-4
eBook Packages: Economics and FinanceEconomics and Finance (R0)