The new research has warned the American that if global warming continues to grow, the death rate will be triple by mid-century.
Among those, who will be affecting the most due to this, would be poor and minority Americans rather than the white and better-off, the research led by Dr. Sameed Khatana of the University of Pennsylvania claimed.
“Overall extreme temperature–related deaths were projected to more than double or triple depending on the [carbon] emissions increase scenario analyzed,” Khatana’s team stated in the journal JAMA Network Open on September 20.
The study found that U.S. heat-related deaths have risen between 2016 to 2023.
“Heat-related illnesses, like heat exhaustion or heat stroke, happen when the body is not able to properly cool itself,” the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.
They continued, “While the body normally cools itself by sweating, during extreme heat, this might not be enough. In these cases, a person’s body temperature rises faster than it can cool itself down. This can cause damage to the brain and other vital organs.”
The study suggested that taking quick action against climate change can help prevent thousands of deaths in years to come.
“Along with efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, efforts to mitigate the adverse outcomes of extreme temperatures for population health are needed,” they wrote.
