Study: During heatwaves, chronic disease sufferers visit hospitals more, stay longer

A new study by the Taub Center for Social Policy Studies reveals that Israelis with chronic respiratory, cardiovascular, and kidney diseases, as well as diabetes, experience increased hospital visits and longer stays during summer heatwaves. This trend, observed from 2010 to 2023, cost the state an estimated NIS 380 million ($127 million) between 2014 and 2025. The research indicates a 41% increase in ER visits for lung disease sufferers during hot periods, with similar rises for kidney (28%) and cardiovascular (27%) conditions. The study also found that women with heat stress stayed longer in the hospital than men across all disease categories, possibly because "women waited longer and were sicker when they finally arrived."

• Researchers recommend that policymakers plan for additional hospital staffing and beds during heatwaves and expand community medicine to help people cope with heat stress.
• Wealthier individuals and those in central Israel are more likely to seek hospital care during heatwaves, potentially due to better access to facilities or less heat acclimatization.
• While heat stress accounted for fewer than two in-hospital deaths annually, the study did not examine heat-related mortality outside hospitals, which a previous estimate suggested could be as high as 45 deaths during extreme heatwaves.