Since it is a common belief that people have more heart problems when the temperatures begin to rise, experts at the European Society of Cardiology's annual meeting in Vienna this week said the issue of global warming deserves more attention.
Dr. Karin Schenck-Gustafsson, of the department of cardiology at Sweden's Karolinska Institute told the Associated Press, "If it really is a few degrees warmer in the next 50 years, we could definitely have more cardiovascular disease."
According to various hospital records, there were an estimated 35,000 deaths above expected levels in the first two weeks of August in Europe during the heat wave of 2003.
Nearly 15,000 extra people died when temperatures soared above normal in France. The medical experts attributed the rise in deaths to heart problems in the elderly worsened by the extreme heat.
Older people with weakened cardiovascular systems are more prone to heat wave dangers. As the temperature rises, our body sweats to get rid of heat, sending blood to the parts of skin where temperatures are cooler.
The process ends up with the opening up of blood vessels thus raising the heart rate rises and dropping the blood pressure drops. Older people with weak hearts end up putting more strain on their hearts during this process, thus leading to heart problems.
Experts also believe that another culprit for heart diseases is pollution, which is expected to get worse with climate change. When the lungs are irritated by tiny airborne contaminants, it could also trigger off a bad reaction in the heart.
