Health Data

Cold linked to 40,000 heart deaths yearly

Muser Press

Temperature and cardiovascular disease mortality exposure-response curve in 819 US counties. MMT = minimum-mortality temperature. Dashed line equate to the population-weighted 2.5th and 97.5th temperature percentiles. Credit: Vieira de Oliveira Salerno, PR et al. (2026) | DOI: 10.1016/j.ajpc.2026.101514 | American Journal of Preventive Cardiology | CC BY-NC-ND

40,000 deaths linked to cold

Cold weather is associated with about 40,000 excess cardiovascular deaths annually in the U.S., around 6.3% of total cases.

Credit: Freepik

U-shaped risk curve

Mortality is lowest around 23°C and rises as temperatures move higher or lower, with a steeper increase in colder conditions.

Credit: Freepik

Cold vs heat impacts

Cold accounts for far more deaths than heat, with about 2,000 annual deaths linked to high temperatures in comparison.

Credit: Freepik

Implications for public health

Findings suggest climate planning should address cold exposure as well as heat, especially for vulnerable populations with chronic conditions.

Read the full article

See the full data and analysis