Strong Links Found for Nighttime Heat Wave Definitions and Asthma Exacerbations

WEDNESDAY, May 13, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- Extreme heat is associated with asthma exacerbations, with strong associations between exacerbations and nighttime heat wave definitions, according to a study published online May 6 in GeoHealth.Bianca Corpuz, from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, and colleagues examined the association between heat wave definitions and summertime asthma-related emergency department visits in Baltimore from 2016 to 2022. Data were included for 819 adult and 695 pediatric exacerbations. A case-crossover design was applied using geocoded electronic health records and air temperature measurements at several spatial resolutions.The researchers identified strong associations between asthma exacerbations and nighttime heat wave definitions based on relative thresholds of minimum temperatures with use of census block group or tract-level temperature estimates. Significant relationships were seen for both age groups; in socially vulnerable areas, risks were elevated. The researchers noted that associations between asthma and daytime heat extremes identified using heat wave definitions derived from the city's primary National Weather Service synoptic weather station suggest that the character of the heat hazard depends on the scale used for its definition. No significant association with exacerbations was seen for the extreme heat event definition used by Baltimore City's Code Red system, which relies on daytime heat indices."Heat exposure can vary drastically from one neighborhood to the next, and those differences matter for health," Corpuz said in a statement. "When we measure temperature at the neighborhood scale, we can see patterns that aren’t captured by regional weather data. That kind of local information is critical if cities want to better protect vulnerable communities."Abstract/Full Text.Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

Strong Links Found for Nighttime Heat Wave Definitions and Asthma Exacerbations

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