Evidence map›Paper›PMID 16990293›Full record

ArticleOccupational and environmental medicine2007

Heat-related and cold-related deaths in England and Wales: who is at risk?

S Hajat, R S Kovats, K Lachowycz

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Occupational and environmental medicine, 2007. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 209 papers, 9 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
209citing papers in PubMed, 9 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

209 citing papers in PubMed, 9 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Association between extreme weather events and postoperative adverse outcomes: a systematic review.Canadian journal of anaesthesia = Journal canadien d'anesthesie · 2025
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  12. [The oldest old and climate change: an emerging field of research].Bundesgesundheitsblatt, Gesundheitsforschung, Gesundheitsschutz · 2026
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149 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

S HajatPublic & Environmental Health Research Unit, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK. shakoor.hajat@lshtm.ac.uk
R S Kovats
K Lachowycz

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundDespite the high burden from exposure to both hot and cold weather each year in England and Wales, there has been relatively little investigation on who is most at risk, resulting in uncertainties in informing government interventions.

objectiveTo determine the subgroups of the population that are most vulnerable to heat-related and cold-related mortality.

methodsEcological time-series study of daily mortality in all regions of England and Wales between 1993 and 2003, with postcode linkage of individual deaths to a UK database of all care and nursing homes, and 2001 UK census small-area indicators.

resultsA risk of mortality was observed for both heat and cold exposure in all regions, with the strongest heat effects in London and strongest cold effects in the Eastern region. For all regions, a mean relative risk of 1.03 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.02 to 1.03) was estimated per degree increase above the heat threshold, defined as the 95th centile of the temperature distribution in each region, and 1.06 (95% CI 1.05 to 1.06) per degree decrease below the cold threshold (set at the 5th centile). Elderly people, particularly those in nursing and care homes, were most vulnerable. The greatest risk of heat mortality was observed for respiratory and external causes, and in women, which remained after control for age. Vulnerability to either heat or cold was not modified by deprivation, except in rural populations where cold effects were slightly stronger in more deprived areas.

conclusionsInterventions to reduce vulnerability to both hot and cold weather should target all elderly people. Specific interventions should also be developed for people in nursing and care homes as heat illness is easily preventable.

Indexed as

Cause of DeathAdolescentAdultAgedAged, 80 and overAge DistributionChildChild, PreschoolCold TemperatureEnglandEnvironmental ExposureFemaleHomes for the AgedHot TemperatureHumansInfant

Identifiers

PMID16990293
PMCPMC2078436

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.