Study Demonstrates Surprising Dangers of Cold When Compared to Heat

Just because the threat of extreme heat is in the rearview mirror for the next few months, that does not mean that the temperatures cannot be life-threatening. A new study is raising concerns about the dangers of the wintertime cold. Here is a look at what the study revealed.

New Research Signals That Cold Temperatures Are More Dangerous Than the Heat

Deaths attributed to the heat typically garner more attention than fatalities blamed on cold weather. However, a new study is demonstrating that winter temperatures could be a bigger danger. A new study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine detailed that 65% of all deaths related to temperatures over the last 25 years in the U.S. were due to extreme cold. Only 35% of these fatalities were connected to extreme heat. During this time period, the researchers found that 69,256 U.S. deaths listed extreme temperature exposure as an underlying or contributing cause.

Senior author Shady Abohashem said that the group's findings signaled that these deaths were mostly preventable. According to Abohashem, both heat and cold exposure are responsible for a growing number of preventable deaths. The findings also paint a picture of significant disparity between populations. For example, adults over the age of 65, men, and non-Hispanic Black individuals face the greatest threats from extreme temperatures. Abohashem also noted that the disparity patterns have remained consistent for 25 years, demonstrating a need to help these most vulnerable populations.

This study is the first of its kind. While prior research leaned on forecasts and other types of models, this study used real data that was observed in the U.S. over 25 years. Past studies also looked at heat and cold deaths separately. However, this study examined both the weather impacts together, breaking down the fatalities by age, sex, and race/ethnicity. The result is a clear picture of what populations are most impacted by extreme swings in the temperature.