The impact of extreme high temperatures on ADRD hospitalization in Guangdong, China, 2017–2019

Abstract

Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) have emerged as a major global health challenge due to the aging population. This study is among the first to investigate the impact of extreme high temperatures on ADRD hospitalization in a developing country, leveraging individual-level inpatient medical records. We found that both transient and cumulative exposure to heat waves significantly increased total hospitalization expenses and the length of hospital stay for ADRD patients. Specifically, an additional day with a daily mean temperature exceeding 30 °C in the preceding 7 days, compared to a moderate day with a temperature between 14–18 °C, was associated with a 1.5 % (200.2 yuan) increase in total hospitalization expenses and a 1.8 % (0.2 days) increase in the length of hospital stay. These effects were largely driven by out-of-pocket expenditures on nursing care and were particularly pronounced among male patients and those aged over 75.