Heat- and Cold-Related Mortality Burden in the US From 2000 to 2020

From 2000 to 2020 in the contiguous US, what were the spatiotemporal patterns in the mortality burden from nonoptimal temperatures?This case series of 54 223 429 deceased individuals found that both low and high temperatures were significantly associated with mortality burden, with low temperatures associated with more mean annual deaths (45 992) than high temperatures (3414). However, the burden from high temperatures increased by 53% from the 2000-2009 to 2010-2020 study periods; vulnerabilities varied by region, cause of death, and demographic factors (age, sex, and marital status).These findings suggest that tailored public health and climate strategies, especially those incorporating local contexts and demographic differences, are needed to mitigate temperature-related risks and protect vulnerable populations.

Corresponding Author: Kai Chen, PhD, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Yale School of Public Health, 60 College Street, New Haven, CT 06511 (kai.chen@yale.edu).

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