It’s Not the Heat, It’s the Humidity That Kills

It’s that time of year when we think about how hot it is. Weather forecasters use the heat index to describe how hot it really feels when the relative humidity is added to the actual air temperature. Now Greek research scientists have investigated the effect of humidity on heart attacks.

All reported deaths in Athens for the year 2001 were analyzed in relation to the daily weather reports of temperature, atmospheric pressure, and humidity. There were 3126 deaths from heart attack, of which 1953 were in men. There were one third more such deaths in winter as in summer; this difference was almost all due to deaths in those over 70.

Average monthly humidity was the single most important weather-related factor that influenced the daily death rate. It ranged between 26% and 91% (August low, December high). Over the year, the average humidity for a given month was significantly linked with the number of heart attack deaths.

There’s no reason to think that what happens in Greece doesn’t happen here. Doubtless someone will do a similar analysis to check it out, however. In New Mexico we have high temperatures in summer, but very low humidity. We like to boast “But it’s a dry heat!” No need for a/c, just ceiling fans. Paradise.