The reason? The cold causes the arteries to narrow and blood pressure to rise. And climate change might aggravate this phenomenon, suggests a recent study carried out by scientists from Duke-NUS Medical School, in collaboration with Singapore’s National Environment Agency.

The authors found that temperature decreases observed in this part of the world could contribute to increased risk of heart attacks.

The researchers emphasise that most studies to date have focused on temperate climates, where temperatures vary considerably, and less so on regions with warm, tropical climates such as Singapore.

Conducted using data collected across the country between 2009 and 2018, the research reveals that a 1°C drop in room temperature increased the risk of a type of acute myocardial infarction by 12%.

According to the study, this risk could be particularly pronounced in people aged 65 and older, who are about 20% more vulnerable to lower temperatures than younger people.

“Climate change is expected to bring about increased climatic fluctuation and extreme weather events. Studies have demonstrated that adverse health outcomes and mortality rates can be exacerbated by increased climate variability,” the scientists explain.

“In the context of climate change, these findings highlight a risk factor of substantial public health concern,” said Dr Joel Aik, an environmental epidemiologist and co-senior author.