The impact of heat waves and cold spells on mortality rates in the Dutch population.

By M. Huynen, P. Martens, D. Schram, M. Weijenberg, A. Kunst. Environmental Health Perspectives, 2001

683 citations recorded by the source corpus.

We conducted the study described in this paper to investigate the impact of ambient temperature on mortality in the Netherlands during 1979-1997, the impact of heat waves and cold spells on mortality in particular, and the possibility of any heat wave- or cold spell-induced forward displacement of mortality. We found a V-like relationship between mortality and temperature, with an optimum temperature value (e.g., average temperature with lowest mortality rate) of 16.5 degrees C for total mortality, cardiovascular mortality, respiratory mortality, and mortality among those [Greater and equal to] 65 year of age. For mortality due to malignant neoplasms and mortality in the youngest age group, the optimum temperatures were 15.5 degrees C and 14.5 degrees C, respectively. For temperatures above the optimum, mortality increased by 0.47, 1.86, 12.82, and 2.72% for malignant neoplasms, cardiovascular disease, respiratory diseases, and total mortality, respectively, for each degree Celsius increase above the optimum in the preceding month. For temperatures below the optimum, mortality increased 0.22, 1.69, 5.15, and 1.37%, respectively, for each degree Celsius decrease below the optimum in the preceding month. Mortality increased significantly during all of the heat waves studied, and the elderly were most effected by extreme heat. The heat waves led to increases in mortality due to all of the selected causes, especially respiratory mortality. Average total excess mortality during the heat waves studied was 12.1%, or 39.8 deaths/day. The average excess mortality during the cold spells was 12.8% or 46.6 deaths/day, which was mostly attributable to the increase in cardiovascular mortality and mortality among the elderly. The results concerning the forward displacement of deaths due to heat waves were not conclusive. We found no cold-induced forward displacement of deaths.

Subfields: General Health Professions, Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis

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Citations in the corpus

Climate Change Futures: Health, Ecological and Economic Dimensions (2004, background): “Historically, severe heat waves in other nearby or similar parts of the world have typically caused 10-20% excess deaths (Pattenden et al. 2003; Huynen et al. 2001).”
The impact of heat waves on mortality in 9 European cities: results from the EuroHEAT project (2010, result): “This is in agreement with other studies [7,29] and probably reflects the fact that health status of people suffering from chronic respiratory diseases rapidly deteriorates during hot periods or that the capacity to cope with heat stress is generally diminished in particular population subgroups, suc”
The urban heat island and its impact on heat waves and human health in Shanghai (2010, background): “First, many approaches such as absolute threshold temperature (Huynen et al. 2001), relative threshold temperature (Hajat et al.”
Climate Change, Mortality, and Adaptation: Evidence from Annual Fluctuations in Weather in the US (2011, neutral): “Exposure to very cold temperatures causes cardiovascular stress due to changes in blood pressure, vasoconstriction, and an increase in blood viscosity (which can lead to clots), as well as levels of red blood cell counts, plasma cholesterol, and plasma fibrinogen (Huynen et al. 2001).”
The 2006 California Heat Wave: Impacts on Hospitalizations and Emergency Department Visits (2008, background): “Some previous heat mortality studies have found that the number of deaths caused by heat waves is partially offset by a temporary reduction in death rates in subsequent weeks (Braga et al. 2001; Huynen et al. 2001).”
Ambient Temperature and Morbidity: A Review of Epidemiological Evidence (2011, background): “In addition, episodes of extreme cold (cold spells) are a concern in high-latitude regions (Pattenden et al. 2003) such as Russia (Revich and Shaposhnikov 2008), the Czech Republic (Kysely et al. 2009), and the Netherlands (Huynen et al. 2001).”
Excess mortality related to the August 2003 heat wave in France (2006, background): “This is the case for the deaths due to heatstroke, hyperthermia and dehydration, but also, probably, for a fraction, at least, of the deaths for other diseases, particularly circulatory and respiratory diseases (Applegate et al. 1981; Ellis and Nelson 1978; Henschel et al. 1969; Huynen et al. 2001; ”
Relation between elevated ambient temperature and mortality: a review of the epidemiologic evidence. (2002, background): “Time-series study in the Netherlands, 1979–1997 (38) Daily temperature (average of maximum and minimum temperatures) Daily mortality (total, malignant neoplasms, respiratory disease, and CVD) in persons aged ≥65 years V-like relation between temperature and mortality; mortality from all causes incre”
Mortality Associated with High Ambient Temperatures, Heatwaves, and the Urban Heat Island in Athens, Greece (2017, background): “Published research that examines the effects of high temperatures on human health includes (a) studies that examine a single city such as Ahmedabad [19], Athens [37], Madrid [53], Budapest [54], Dublin [55], Montreal [56], Toronto [57], Sydney [58], Brisbane [59], and São Paulo [60]; (b) studies tha”