Population vulnerability to extreme cold days in rural and urban municipalities in ten provinces in Spain

Effect of low temperature on myocardial infarction mortality in rural residents: comparison of daytime and nighttime exposure

Ambient low temperature is a risk factor for myocardial infarction (MI) worldwide, with limited evidence about the effect of low temperature at different periods of a day. We aimed to characterize the association of MI mortality with daytime and nighttime low temperatures in rural areas. Daily daily temperature data and MI deaths from 2016 to 2020 were obtained for the rural areas of Anhui Province. We first applied the distributed lag nonlinear model to examine the association of MI death risk with daily maximum (daytime) and minimum (nighttime) temperature for each rural area. Then, we used the random-effects meta-analysis to pool the rural-specific effect estimates and subgroups stratified by sex, age, and geographical region. Daytime low temperature and nighttime low temperature were both associated with an increased risk of MI death. On the same day of exposure to daytime low temperature and nighttime low temperature, the risk of MI death respectively increased by 12.6% [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.7% ~ 25.8%] and 3.2% (95%CI: 0% ~ 6.6%). Subgroup results showed an increased MI death risk associated with daytime and nighttime low temperatures in the elderly (≥ 65 years) and males. Besides, there was an obvious geographical variation in the lag effects of daytime and nighttime low temperatures on MI mortality. This study provides evidence of different effect of daytime and nighttime low temperature on MI mortality in China. Our findings may have important implications in preventing heart attacks during the day and at night in cold weather.

Housing conditions and the health and wellbeing impacts of climate change: A scoping review

Housing conditions are emerging as an important consideration in climate change adaptation. Housing modifications have the potential to improve health outcomes by reducing exposure to changing weather conditions and extreme events. This scoping review aimed to explore the existing evidence examining the contribution of housing conditions to the impacts of climate change on health and identify any research gaps. Literature searches were conducted in Scopus and PubMed from January 2013 to September 2023 and data were analysed using thematic analysis. The review included 38 articles consisting of original studies, reviews, and reports, with broad geographical coverage. The most common focus among included articles was on heat-health impacts; housing conditions found to improve heat-health health outcomes included air conditioning, ventilation, and window shading, and there was support for multifaceted housing adaptations rather than single fixes. Ventilation was found to be a priority for improving indoor air quality, while inappropriate insulation and excessive air tightness were found to increase indoor heat and reduce indoor air quality. The scoping review reveals a need for more empirical and qualitative research into indoor heat in homes, climate change hazards other than heat, and intervention studies to inform climate change adaptation policies around housing and improve public health outcomes.

Short-term impact of air pollution, noise and temperature on emergency hospital admissions in Madrid (Spain) due to liver and gallbladder diseases

BACKGROUND

Very few epidemiological studies have explored the environmental and meteorological risk factors that influence liver diseases and gallbladder disorders, and no studies have addressed the specific case of Spain.

METHODS

This is a retrospective ecological study conducted during 2013-2018. We analysed emergency admissions in the central area of the Region of Madrid for the following causes: Liver and gallbladder diseases (L&GB) (ICD-10: K70-K81); disorders of gallbladder (DGB) (ICD 10: K80-K81); liver disease (LD) (ICD 10: K70-K77); alcoholic liver disease (ALD) (ICD-10: K70); viral hepatitis (VH) (ICD10:B15-B19); and hepatic failure, not elsewhere classified (HFNS) (ICD-10: K72). Independent variables used: meteorological (maximum daily temperature (Tmax in ⁰C), minimum daily temperature (Tmin in ⁰C), and relative humidity (RH in %)); chemical air pollution (8-hO3, NO2, PM10, PM2.5 in μg/m3); and noise pollution (equivalent level of daily noise (Ld in dB(A)). Transformed variables: extreme heat in degrees (Theat); wet cold (WC); and high ozone. We fitted Poisson models, negative binomials and zero-inflated Poisson controlled for seasonality, day of the week, holidays, trend, and autoregressive trend. Based on these models, the percentage of cases attributable to statistically significant risk factors was then estimated.

RESULTS

In L&GB emergency admissions daily noise is related to 4.4% (CI95%: 0.8 7.9) of admissions; NO2 to 2.9% (CI95%: 0.1 5.7) and wet cold to 0.2% (CI95%: 0.8 7.9). Heat wave temperature was only related to ALD. In addition, the wet cold association with L&GB is also related to HFNS attributing 1.0% (CI95%: 0.3 1.8) of admissions for this cause.

CONCLUSIONS

Daily noise and NO2 are associated with more than 7% of urgent L&GB admissions. Both pollutants, are mainly emitted by road traffic. A reduction of traffic in cities would result in a reduction of emergency admissions due to this cause.

Cold exposure, gut microbiota and health implications: A narrative review

Temperature has been recognized as an important environmental factor affecting the composition and function of gut microbiota (GM). Although research on high-temperature impacts has been well studied, knowledge about the effect of cold exposure on GM remains limited. This narrative review aims to synthesize the latest scientific findings on the impact of cold exposure on mammalian GM, and its potential health implications. Chronic cold exposure could disrupt the α-diversity and the composition of GM in both experimental animals and wild-living hosts. Meanwhile, cold exposure could impact gut microbial metabolites, such as short-chain fatty acids. We also discussed plausible biological pathways and mechanisms by which cold-induced changes may impact host health, including metabolic homeostasis, fitness and thermogenesis, through the microbiota-gut-brain axis. Intriguingly, alterations in GM may provide a tool for favorably modulating the host response to the cold temperature. Finally, current challenges and future perspectives are discussed, emphasizing the need for translational research in humans. GM could be manipulated by utilizing nutritional strategies, such as probiotics and prebiotics, to deal with cold-related health issues and enhance well-being in populations living or working in cold environments.