May 21, Duke Kunshan University (DKU) researchers’ article was published as a commentary in response to an international study on temperature and mortality in the latest issue of
The Lancet.
The study reported that mortality risk due to moderately hot or cold weather is much higher than that resulting from extreme heat waves or cold spells. In a linked comment, Keith Dear and Zhan Wang from the Global Health Research Center (GHRC) of DKU wrote, ‘Since high or low temperatures affect susceptible groups such as unwell, young, and elderly people the most, attempts to mitigate the risk associated with temperature would benefit from in-depth studies of the interaction between attributable mortality and socioeconomic factors, to avoid adverse policy outcomes and achieve effective adaptation.’ They also pointed out that considering the relatively low impact of extreme cold on mortality, the trend of Global Warming may not yield a large reduction in cold-related mortality as expected. The international study and commentary were also reported by media including The Guardian, The Local and The Weather Network.
