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When you take age out of the equation, temperature-related deaths are on the decline in England and Wales. That’s according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). But more people are going to hospital, compared with 20 years ago.
It turns out, that’s not the only surprise in this new report. Here’s how else climate change is affecting health in Britain.
1. Deaths during heatwaves are increasing
By reporting the number of climate-related deaths per 100,000 people for each age cohort, the study effectively hid the influence of age, making factors like temperature easier to compare over time.
Looking at the excess mortality rate instead tells us how deaths linked to a certain cause – such as heart disease or road traffic accidents – have increased compared with the average death rate over the last five years. Using this measure reveals that excess deaths of all causes have increased in Britain during heatwaves since 2001, especially among people over 65.
Despite this, the weighted death rate is lower today than two decades ago, perhaps because of better living conditions and an increase in life expectancy more generally.
2. Respiratory deaths up on hot and cold days
Deaths from respiratory diseases have increased on cold days as well as warm ones since 2001 according to the ONS report.
One reason for this may be that these weather conditions are often associated with higher levels of air pollution. The wood-burning stoves some homes use during colder weather are now a bigger source of fine particulate pollution (38%) than road traffic in the UK.
Settled periods in the atmosphere often give rise to clear skies and lots of sunshine which can cause heatwaves. The air pressure systems causing this also allow pollution to accumulate overhead as the air remains trapped – exacerbating respiratory illnesses.
Full story at The Conversation:
https://theconversation.com/four-surprising-ways-climate-change-is-affecting-peoples-health-in-england-and-wales-175099
Imagery:
https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/burning-hot-sunset-on-uk-motorway-1455388946