Impact of Extreme Heat on Cardiovascular Health in Kuwait: Present and Future Projections

Abstract Background The Middle East, especially Kuwait, is experiencing rapidly rising temperatures due to climate change. Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading cause of mortality in the country, and extreme heat is expected to exacerbate hospitalizations for cardiovascular diseases. There i...

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Main Authors: Yazan Alwadi, Ali Al-Hemoud, Haitham Khraishah, Fahd Al-Mulla, Petros Koutrakis, Hamad Ali, Barrak Alahmad
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Springer 2024-12-01
Series:Journal of Epidemiology and Global Health
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1007/s44197-024-00330-5
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author Yazan Alwadi
Ali Al-Hemoud
Haitham Khraishah
Fahd Al-Mulla
Petros Koutrakis
Hamad Ali
Barrak Alahmad
author_facet Yazan Alwadi
Ali Al-Hemoud
Haitham Khraishah
Fahd Al-Mulla
Petros Koutrakis
Hamad Ali
Barrak Alahmad
author_sort Yazan Alwadi
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background The Middle East, especially Kuwait, is experiencing rapidly rising temperatures due to climate change. Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading cause of mortality in the country, and extreme heat is expected to exacerbate hospitalizations for cardiovascular diseases. There is limited data quantifying the historical and future impacts of heat on hospitalizations for cardiovascular diseases in Kuwait. Methods We collected daily hospital admission data of cardiovascular diseases in Kuwait from 2010 to 2019. We modeled the relationship between temperature and cardiovascular disease hospitalizations using distributed lag non-linear models (DLNMs), adjusting for relative humidity and seasonality. Future temperature projections for Kuwait under moderate and extreme climate change scenarios were obtained from the Coupled Model Inter-comparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6), and the impact on cardiovascular disease hospitalizations was extrapolated for every decade until 2099. Results During the baseline period (2010–2019), a total of 263,182 CVD cases were recorded. Of which, 20,569 (95% eCI: 3,128, 35,757) were attributed to heat. We found that the relative risk of hospitalization for CVD increased from 1.292 (95% CI: 1.051, 1.589) at 41 °C to 1.326 (95% CI: 1.006, 1.747) at 43 °C, compared to the minimum morbidity temperature. Projections showed that, under moderate climate scenarios, CVD hospitalizations would increase by 1.96% by 2090–2099, while under extreme scenarios, the increase could reach 4.44%. Conclusions Extreme heat significantly contributes to CVD hospitalizations in Kuwait. This burden is projected to increase under climate change. Findings highlight the urgent need for healthcare system preparedness to mitigate the future health impacts of rising temperatures in Kuwait.
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spelling doaj-art-4cc95ddc0f0648efb11f7296c274fa2e2024-12-22T12:12:02ZengSpringerJournal of Epidemiology and Global Health2210-60142024-12-011441711171910.1007/s44197-024-00330-5Impact of Extreme Heat on Cardiovascular Health in Kuwait: Present and Future ProjectionsYazan Alwadi0Ali Al-Hemoud1Haitham Khraishah2Fahd Al-Mulla3Petros Koutrakis4Hamad Ali5Barrak Alahmad6Environmental Health Department, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public HealthEnvironment and Life Sciences Research Center, Kuwait Institute for Scientific ResearchDivision of Cardiovascular Medicine, Case Western Reserve UniversityTranslational Research Department, Dasman Diabetes InstituteEnvironmental Health Department, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public HealthTranslational Research Department, Dasman Diabetes InstituteEnvironmental Health Department, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public HealthAbstract Background The Middle East, especially Kuwait, is experiencing rapidly rising temperatures due to climate change. Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading cause of mortality in the country, and extreme heat is expected to exacerbate hospitalizations for cardiovascular diseases. There is limited data quantifying the historical and future impacts of heat on hospitalizations for cardiovascular diseases in Kuwait. Methods We collected daily hospital admission data of cardiovascular diseases in Kuwait from 2010 to 2019. We modeled the relationship between temperature and cardiovascular disease hospitalizations using distributed lag non-linear models (DLNMs), adjusting for relative humidity and seasonality. Future temperature projections for Kuwait under moderate and extreme climate change scenarios were obtained from the Coupled Model Inter-comparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6), and the impact on cardiovascular disease hospitalizations was extrapolated for every decade until 2099. Results During the baseline period (2010–2019), a total of 263,182 CVD cases were recorded. Of which, 20,569 (95% eCI: 3,128, 35,757) were attributed to heat. We found that the relative risk of hospitalization for CVD increased from 1.292 (95% CI: 1.051, 1.589) at 41 °C to 1.326 (95% CI: 1.006, 1.747) at 43 °C, compared to the minimum morbidity temperature. Projections showed that, under moderate climate scenarios, CVD hospitalizations would increase by 1.96% by 2090–2099, while under extreme scenarios, the increase could reach 4.44%. Conclusions Extreme heat significantly contributes to CVD hospitalizations in Kuwait. This burden is projected to increase under climate change. Findings highlight the urgent need for healthcare system preparedness to mitigate the future health impacts of rising temperatures in Kuwait.https://doi.org/10.1007/s44197-024-00330-5Cardiovascular diseaseHospitalizationsMiddle eastClimate changeIschemic heart diseaseClimate projections
spellingShingle Yazan Alwadi
Ali Al-Hemoud
Haitham Khraishah
Fahd Al-Mulla
Petros Koutrakis
Hamad Ali
Barrak Alahmad
Impact of Extreme Heat on Cardiovascular Health in Kuwait: Present and Future Projections
Journal of Epidemiology and Global Health
Cardiovascular disease
Hospitalizations
Middle east
Climate change
Ischemic heart disease
Climate projections
title Impact of Extreme Heat on Cardiovascular Health in Kuwait: Present and Future Projections
title_full Impact of Extreme Heat on Cardiovascular Health in Kuwait: Present and Future Projections
title_fullStr Impact of Extreme Heat on Cardiovascular Health in Kuwait: Present and Future Projections
title_full_unstemmed Impact of Extreme Heat on Cardiovascular Health in Kuwait: Present and Future Projections
title_short Impact of Extreme Heat on Cardiovascular Health in Kuwait: Present and Future Projections
title_sort impact of extreme heat on cardiovascular health in kuwait present and future projections
topic Cardiovascular disease
Hospitalizations
Middle east
Climate change
Ischemic heart disease
Climate projections
url https://doi.org/10.1007/s44197-024-00330-5
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AT fahdalmulla impactofextremeheatoncardiovascularhealthinkuwaitpresentandfutureprojections
AT petroskoutrakis impactofextremeheatoncardiovascularhealthinkuwaitpresentandfutureprojections
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