In 2018, 4246 excess hospitalisations occurred among adults over 65 in the US due to power outages
Adults over age 65 experience greater numbers of emergency hospitalisations for cardiovascular and respiratory diseases during and after power outages, reports a new study by Heather McBrien of Columbia Mailman School of Public Health, US, and colleagues, published March 12th in the open-access journal PLOS Medicine.
In the US, power outages are becoming increasingly common and longer-lasting due to severe weather events associated with climate change. Studies from New York State have suggested that power outages likely lead to more hospitalisations for cardiovascular and respiratory disease in older adults – due to air conditioners, heaters, phones and medical devices, like oxygen tanks, losing power. Previously, however, researchers did not have sufficient data for national studies of the impacts of power outages on health.
In the new study, researchers identified outages nationwide that occurred in 2018 and used data from 23 million Medicare patients to estimate daily rates of emergency hospitalisations. They found that power outages lasting longer than eight hours were associated with increases in the number of older adults hospitalised for cardiovascular and respiratory disease. Hospital visits for respiratory disease were most likely the day of the outage, while visits for cardiovascular issues were more common the day after. They estimate that 4246 additional hospitalisations occurred in 2018 among adults over age 65 due to power outages.
The researchers conclude that improving the reliability of electric grids would be a key opportunity to support community health and protect older adults. Other interventions, like backup batteries for medical devices and cellphones, or generators for air conditioners and heaters, could also protect the health of vulnerable individuals. In the current study, researchers examined power outages at the county level, but future studies looking at outages and health at the level of the individual could lead to a more accurate understanding of the associated health risks.
The authors add, “We found that across the United States, power outages were related to increased risk of hospitalizations among older adults for cardiovascular and respiratory causes.”
“The risk of hospitalisation for respiratory disease was highest the day of power outage, and for cardiovascular disease it was highest the day after power outages.”
“We find evidence that the larger the proportion of people affected by power outage, the higher the risk of hospitalization for older adults.”
“Power outages are increasing due to climate change-related severe weather and an aging grid. Finding ways to prevent power outages could protect the health of older adults.”
“While our studies keep finding so many downstream consequences of climate change that lead to hospitalisation and death, including this study on power outages, [the US] government continues to repeal regulations protecting the public.”
Provided by PLOS
