Humidity's Role in Heat-Related Health Outcomes: A Heated Debate.

ABSTRACT:

Background

As atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations continue to rise, temperature and humidity will increase further, causing potentially dire increases in human heat stress. On physiological and biophysical grounds, exposure to higher levels of humidity should worsen heat stress by decreasing sweat evaporation. However, population-scale epidemiological studies of heat exposure and response often do not detect associations between high levels of humidity and heat-related mortality or morbidity. These divergent, disciplinary views regarding the role of humidity in heat-related health risks limit confidence in selecting which interventions are effective in reducing health impacts and in projecting future heat-related health risks.

Objectives

Via our multidisciplinary persp

SUBMITTER: Baldwin JW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10231239 | biostudies-literature | 2023 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature