Physiological Equivalent Temperature (PET) index and cardiovascular hospital admissions in Ahvaz, southwest of Iran

Evidence shows that climate change may have adverse effects on human health. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relation between Physiologically Equivalent Temperature (PET) and cardiovascular hospital admissions in Ahvaz. Distributed Lag Non-linear Models (DLNM) combined with quasi-Poisson regression models were used to investigate the effect of PET on hospital admissions. Low PET values (6.4 °C, 9.9 °C and 16.9 °C) in all lags, except lag 0-30, significantly decreased the risk of hospital admissions for total cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, ischemic heart diseases, and cardiovascular admissions in men, women and ≤65 years. But, low PET (6.4 °C) in lags 0 and 0-2 significantly increased the risk of hospital admissions for cerebrovascular diseases; and high PET values increased the risk of ischemic heart diseases and in men. Both cold and hot stress are involved in cardiovascular hospital admissions.