Health Effects of Climate Change

Global warming has multiple contributing factors
1. Fossil fuel combustion
2. Methane release (agriculture, fossil fuel production)
3. Other greenhouse gas emissions (e.g. fluorochemicals)
4. Deforestation
Global warming is accelerating
1. From 2015 to 2025, global Temperatures have been the hottest on record
2. Warming rate doubled between 1975 to 2025 (compared with the 50 years prior)
Global warming creates significant adverse environmental conditions that impact human health
1. Extreme Heat Exposure and Heat Waves
2. Poor air quality
3. Extreme Events (droughts, floods, hurricanes)
4. Wildfires
5. Vectorborne Disease
6. Impacts on food and water supply

See Heat Related Illness
See Heat Illness Prevention
Higher risk in urban areas, and for outdoor workers, athletes and low-income households, elderly, homeless
1. Chronic disease (esp. cardiopulmonary disease)
2. No access to air conditioning
3. Occupational heat exposure
4. Urban heat islands in metropolitan areas (compared with cooler rural areas)
Extreme heat is responsible increased mortality
1. U.S.: 2300 deaths per year in 2023 (was 1100/year in 1999)
2. Global: 546,000 deaths/year

See Outdoor Air Pollutants
See Wildfire below
Increased Air Pollution, increased ground-level ozone concentrations and prolonged pollen seasons with climate change
Increased Asthma Exacerbations and COPD exacerbations
Ischemic Heart Disease is also exacerbated by poor air quality

Droughts
1. Increased risk of wildfires (see below)
Floods
Hurricanes
Resources
1. Extreme Precipitation Events (CDC)
  1. https://www.cdc.gov/climateandhealth/effects/precipitation_extremes.htm

See Burn Injury
See Smoke Inhalation Injury
See Outdoor Air Pollutants
Wildfire risk is directly related to droughts
Smoke from wildfires contains particulate matter as well as Carbon Monoxide, nitrogen oxides and various other volatile agents
Beyond the danger from the fire itself, air quality is a major concern (see above)

See Vector Borne Disease
Warmer Temperatures have allowed Insect vectors have expanded their range into North America
Longer durations of warm weather, have allowed Insect populations to increase and be active for longer periods
Examples include West Nile Virus, Zika Virus, Dengue Virus, Chikungunya Virus, Lyme Disease

See Waterborne Illness
Contaminated water supply (e.g. Cholera) is common during natural disasters (e.g. flooding, hurricanes)
Ocean Bacteria (e.g. Vibrio) increase with ocean Temperature warming

Food supply is expected to decrease worldwide due to climate change (decreased crop yields, fish and livestock populations)
Food prices are expected to increase in the face of a growing population
Expected food insecurity and nutrient poor diets with secondary increased risks for both Malnutrition and Obesity

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and other Anxiety Disorders often follow natural disasters (e.g. wildfires, hurricanes)
Mental illness (e.g. Major Depression, Anxiety Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, Schizophrenia) are exacerbated by disasters
Extreme heat is associated with increased Suicide and Violence

Risk Identification
1. Prolonged Exposures (extreme heat, poor air quality, allergans)
2. Review Heat Illness Risk Factors (e.g. elderly, chronic comorbidity, access to cool environments, occupational exposure)
3. Review Medications Predisposing to Heat Illness
Manage related comorbidities (esp. cardiac and pulmonary conditions)
1. Review Asthma Action Plan (esp. during wildfire season, high Air Pollution days)
2. Review allergy management
Prevention counseling
1. See Heat Illness Prevention
2. See Prevention of Vector-borne Infection
3. N95 Masks when exposed to outdoor high pollution days
4. HEPA Filters
5. Cooking with adequately vented stoves (or induction or electric stove tops)
6. Review emergency plans for extremely hot days
  1. Community resources (e.g. air conditioned community centers)
  2. Home energy assistance programs