A standardized indicator reveals sharper increases in heat related mortality in temperate zone cities worldwide.

Ying Liang, Xuan Wang, Lei Ma, Guangjun He, Heng Lu

Abstract read

In one paragraph

Article in Scientific reports, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it

0cells of the map it votes in

0citing papers in PubMed

–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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

5 authors.

Ying LiangState Key Laboratory of Space Information System and Integrated Application, Beijing, 100095, China.

Xuan WangSchool of Geography and Ocean Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China.

Lei MaSchool of Geography and Ocean Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China. maleinju@gmail.com.

Guangjun HeState Key Laboratory of Space Information System and Integrated Application, Beijing, 100095, China.

Heng LuState Key Laboratory of Hydraulics and Mountain River Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, China.

Funding

AI and AI for Science Project of Nanjing University NANational Natural Science Foundation of China 42171304Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province of China BK20242018Open Research Fund of the State Key Laboratory of Space- Earth Integrated Information Technology SKL_SGIIT_20240303

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Global warming is intensifying heat risks globally, yet understanding of these rising risks on a global scale remains limited. We introduce a standardized heat-sensitivity indicator (ΔRR)-the change in relative risk (RR) per 1 °C above the minimum mortality temperature (MMT)-which enables like-for-like comparisons across heterogeneous city studies. Using ΔRR, we quantify how sensitively heat-related mortality responds to incremental warming rather than only to extremes. This study reveals that over a latitude of around 40°N, development inequality disrupts the patterns of heat risk variability, and high-risk cities primarily cluster in ranges with temperatures between 10 °C and 22 °C. These findings emphasize the urgent need for more focus on cities in temperate zones. Our results also position ΔRR as a transferable metric for global surveillance, comparison, and planning of heat-health adaptation.

Indexed as

Global WarmingHot TemperatureMortalityCitiesHumansDevelopment inequalityGlobal warmingHeat-related mortalityTemperate zonesΔRR

Identifiers

PMID41491691

DOI10.1038/s41598-025-21897-4

PMCPMC12769731

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata

LicenceCC BY-NC-ND

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Registered trials

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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.