Heat warnings overlook a common health problem that extreme temperatures may make worse
- When a heat wave arrives, the public health advice follows a familiar script: drink water, watch for heat stroke, check on people with heart or lung conditions.
- But it leaves out something that shapes daily life for millions of older Americans – chronic pain.
- In a new study, public health professor Kai Zhang and I followed over 35,000 adults over age 50 across two decades, matching each person and their reports of chronic pain to the temperature history of their neighborhood.
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- When a heat wave arrives, the public health advice follows a familiar script: drink water, watch for heat stroke, check on people with heart or lung conditions.
- But it leaves out something that shapes daily life for millions of older Americans – chronic pain.
- In a new study, public health professor Kai Zhang and I followed over 35,000 adults over age 50 across two decades, matching each person and their reports of chronic pain to the temperature history of their neighborhood.
Sources: The Independent