Extreme heat can raise the risk of heart attacks and strokes, doctor warns

Extreme heat is not merely uncomfortable. It places a measurable burden on the body and can increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes, cardiologist Ade Imasanti Sapardan said.

As the body overheats, blood vessels in the skin widen to release heat through sweating. The heart must then pump blood faster, while heat also increases the risk of dehydration. Together, widened blood vessels and fluid loss can lower blood pressure, causing dizziness, loss of balance or fainting.

“

This climate crisis creates various threats to health.

In some cases, the drop in blood pressure can reduce the flow of oxygen to the heart muscle. That can lead to ischemia, or oxygen deprivation, which carries a risk of heart attack. If reduced oxygen flow affects the brain, it can result in a stroke. Extreme heat can also trigger arrhythmia and worsen existing chronic illnesses, with the risk rising during outdoor physical activity.

“

Extreme heat is not merely uncomfortable, but a burden. The health burden caused by this heat has already been measured.

Air pollution adds another threat. Fine PM2.5 particles can travel deep into the respiratory system and reach the smallest parts of the lungs, where they can cause inflammation. Exposure can raise the risk of cardiovascular and respiratory disease and worsen asthma, infections and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Ade described air pollution as a “silent cardiovascular stressor” because it can contribute to inflammation, clot formation and ischemia. “So, a very hot day and poor air quality are a combination we must be alert to,” she said.

“

So, a very hot day and poor air quality are a combination we must be alert to.