Content area
Full Text
The outsize impact of climate change on older women should be a national health priority for clinicians, scientists and professionals working in public health. Women account for 56.7 percent of adults ages 65 and older in the United States, and at ages 85 and older, they outnumber men by a ratio of five to two. Because women continue to outlive men, most older women live alone and may depend upon their social and community networks for assistance.
As the word climate indicates the average weather of a region over time, climate change means a change in the average weather that lasts for a longer period of time. While some causes of climate change are due to natural variability, researchers attribute the burning of coal, oil and gas as being a major contributor to climate change; burning these fuels results in heat-trapping gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2).
Studies have shown that increases in CO2 lead to increases in surface ozone, carcinogens and particulate matter (PM2.5). Also known as "fine particulates," PM2.5 includes particles with diameters of 2.5 micron in size or less, which, as a result, can travel deep into our lungs, causing harmful effects that lead to or aggravate heart or lung disease. For older adults, this results in higher primary care and emergency room use, more frequent hospital admissions, restricted activity and an increase in prescription medication use.
Women's Health More at Risk
As women age, they are at risk for chronic diseases including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma. It is important to note, air pollution can trigger COPD and asthma and increase the risk of heart attack in older adults, especially those who are diabetic or...
