and poor air quality can lead to upticks in respiratory, cardiovascular and kidney diseases — impacts that will only worsen as climate change intensifies both heat waves and air pollution.
Rajesh Kumar, a project scientist with the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Colorado, said extreme heat and“Heat will cause the blood vessels to dilate and air pollution will increase inflammation in the lungs and throughout the body, so this can further increase the risk of heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular events,” he said.
Dr. Wynne Armand, a primary care physician and associate director of Massachusetts General Hospital's Center for the Environment and Health, said there are many overlaps in which demographics and which communities are most vulnerable to extreme heat and air pollution. But socioeconomic factors also play a role, Armand said. Studies have shown that poorer communities and communities of color are disproportionately affected by extreme heat and poor air quality. They also likely have fewer resources to cope when air pollution and temperatures spikes. These issues are even more magnified in developing nations, experts have said.