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IJERPH
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Impact of Heat (Zone/Vulnerability) on Disease Incidence, Severity, and Outcomes
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Impact of Heat (Zone/Vulnerability) on Disease Incidence, Severity, and Outcomes

A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Infectious Diseases, Chronic Diseases, and Disease Prevention".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 1 May 2025 | Viewed by 4467

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Jason Wang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Radiology, Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Manhasset, NY 11030, USA
Interests: environmental control; disparities in disease incidence and care; health economics; AI and big data; game theory; statistics; stroke; epidemiology; public health

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Heat zones are important data elements with possible correlations to disease incidence and public health. Many states in the USA as well as several other countries have been collecting related heat information (such as heat maps) by zip code, region, etc. The impact of heat zones on various diseases, such as hypertension, stroke, COVID-19, etc., is a fascinating topic. In the past, I worked with various collaborators to elucidate the relationship between temperature and diseases (such as hypertension). With more available data on heat zones and diseases, knowledge in this field can be further improved with regard to topics such as:

  1. Heat zones and hypertension;
  2. Heat zones and asthma;
  3. Heat zone trends and related diseases;
  4. Heat zones and COVID-19;
  5. Heat zones and quality of life;
  6. Heat zones and stroke incidence;
  7. Heat and cooling equity;
  8. Heat zones and disease incidence;
  9. Heat zones and public health.

Dr. Jason J. Wang
Guest Editor

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • heat zone
  • hypertension
  • asthma
  • stroke
  • disease incidence
  • public health

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

8 pages, 274 KiB  
Article
Association between Heat Vulnerability Index and Stroke Severity
by Jason J. Wang, Jeffrey M. Katz, Maria X. Sanmartin, Liron D. Sinvani, Jason J. Naidich, Elizabeth Y. Rula and Pina C. Sanelli
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2024, 21(8), 1099; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21081099 - 20 Aug 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 993
Abstract
Background: Socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods are particularly vulnerable to heat-related illnesses. We aim to investigate the association between the heat vulnerability index (HVI), an established neighborhood-level metric of heat-related mortality risk, and acute ischemic stroke (AIS) severity. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of [...] Read more.
Background: Socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods are particularly vulnerable to heat-related illnesses. We aim to investigate the association between the heat vulnerability index (HVI), an established neighborhood-level metric of heat-related mortality risk, and acute ischemic stroke (AIS) severity. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of consecutive AIS admissions to a comprehensive stroke center between 2012 and 2021. Stroke severity was defined upon admission based on the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS). Demographic, socioeconomic, and clinical characteristics were extracted from electronic health records. HVI status was assigned using residential ZIP codes. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed. Results: Of 3429 AIS admissions, 1123 (32.8%) were from high-HVI (scores 4–5) neighborhoods and 868 (25.3%) had severe stroke (NIHSS score ≥ 10). In the multivariable regression model with stepwise selection, a high HVI was independently associated with severe stroke (adjusted odds ratio: 1.40 [95% confidence interval 1.16–1.69]). Conclusions: The association between a high HVI and severe stroke underscores the importance of targeting policy interventions to mitigate heat-related illness in socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Heat (Zone/Vulnerability) on Disease Incidence, Severity, and Outcomes)
17 pages, 4390 KiB  
Article
Elucidating Uncertainty in Heat Vulnerability Mapping: Perspectives on Impact Variables and Modeling Approaches
by Sockho Jeong, Yeonyeop Lim, Yeji Kang and Chaeyeon Yi
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2024, 21(7), 815; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21070815 - 21 Jun 2024
Viewed by 921
Abstract
Heat vulnerability maps are vital for identifying at-risk areas and guiding interventions, yet their relationship with health outcomes is underexplored. This study investigates the uncertainty in heat vulnerability maps generated using health outcomes and various statistical models. We constructed vulnerability maps for 167 [...] Read more.
Heat vulnerability maps are vital for identifying at-risk areas and guiding interventions, yet their relationship with health outcomes is underexplored. This study investigates the uncertainty in heat vulnerability maps generated using health outcomes and various statistical models. We constructed vulnerability maps for 167 municipalities in Korea, focusing on the mild and severe health impacts of heat waves on morbidity and mortality. The outcomes included incidence rates of heat-related outpatient visits (morbidity) and attributable mortality rates (mortality) among individuals aged 65 years and older. To construct these maps, we utilized 11 socioeconomic variables related to population, climate, and economic factors. Both linear and nonlinear statistical models were employed to assign these socioeconomic variables to heat vulnerability. We observed variations in the crucial socioeconomic variables affecting morbidity and mortality in the vulnerability maps. Notably, nonlinear models depicted the spatial patterns of health outcomes more accurately than linear models, considering the relationship between health outcomes and socioeconomic variables. Our findings emphasize the differences in the spatial distribution of heat vulnerability based on health outcomes and the choice of statistical models. These insights underscore the importance of selecting appropriate models to enhance the reliability of heat vulnerability maps and their relevance for policy-making. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Heat (Zone/Vulnerability) on Disease Incidence, Severity, and Outcomes)
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15 pages, 2444 KiB  
Article
Hourly Associations between Heat Index and Heat-Related Emergency Medical Service (EMS) Calls in Austin-Travis County, Texas
by Kijin Seong, Junfeng Jiao and Akhil Mandalapu
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(19), 6853; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20196853 - 28 Sep 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1851
Abstract
This paper aims to investigate the following research questions: (1) what are the hourly patterns of heat index and heat-related emergency medical service (EMS) incidents during summertime?; and (2) how do the lagged effects of heat intensity and hourly excess heat (HEH) vary [...] Read more.
This paper aims to investigate the following research questions: (1) what are the hourly patterns of heat index and heat-related emergency medical service (EMS) incidents during summertime?; and (2) how do the lagged effects of heat intensity and hourly excess heat (HEH) vary by heat-related symptoms? Using the hourly weather and heat-related EMS call data in Austin-Travis County, Texas, this paper reveals the relationship between heat index patterns on an hourly basis and heat-related health issues and evaluates the immediate health effects of extreme heat events by utilizing a distributed lag non-linear model (DLNM). Delving into the heat index intensity and HEH, our findings suggest that higher heat intensity has immediate, short-term lagged effects on all causes of heat-related EMS incidents, including in cardiovascular, respiratory, neurological, and non-severe cases, while its relative risk (RR) varies by time. HEH also shows a short-term cumulative lagged effect within 5 h in all-cause, cardiovascular, and non-severe symptoms, while there are no statistically significant RRs found for respiratory and neurological cases in the short term. Our findings could be a reference for policymakers when devoting resources, developing extreme heat warning standards, and optimizing local EMS services, providing data-driven evidence for the effective deployment of ambulances. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Heat (Zone/Vulnerability) on Disease Incidence, Severity, and Outcomes)
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