• Am J Prev Med · May 2024

    Increased suicide mortality and reduced life expectancy associated with ambient heat exposure.

    • Qiyue Wu, Xiuya Xing, Min Yang, Zhongliang Bai, Qin He, Qianyao Cheng, Jingyao Hu, Huadong Wang, Yinguang Fan, Hong Su, Zhirong Liu, and Jian Cheng.
    • Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China; Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Major Autoimmune Disease, Hefei, China.
    • Am J Prev Med. 2024 May 1; 66 (5): 780788780-788.

    IntroductionAmbient heat exposure is a risk factor for suicide in many regions of the world. However, little is known about the extent to which life expectancy has been shortened by heat-related suicide deaths. This study aimed to evaluate the short-term effects of heat on suicide mortality and quantify the reduced life expectancy associated with heat in China.MethodsA time-stratified, case-crossover analysis in 2023 was performed during the warm season (May to September) from 2016 to 2020 to assess the short-term association between extreme heat (the 95th percentile of mean temperature) and suicide mortality in Anhui Province, China. A subgroup analysis was performed according to sex, age, marital status, suicide type, and region. The attributable fraction and years of life lost due to heat were calculated, and the heat-related life expectancy loss was estimated.ResultsThis study included 9,642 suicide deaths, with an average age of 62.4 years and 58.8% of suicides in males. Suicide risk was associated with an 80.7% increase (95% confidence interval [CI]: 21.4%-68.9%) after exposure to extreme heat (30.6°C) in comparison to daily minimum temperature (7.9°C). Subgroup analysis revealed that heat-related suicide risk was more prominent in the married population than in the unmarried population. Heat was estimated to be associated with 31.7% (95% CI: 18.0%-43.2%) of the suicides, corresponding to 7.0 years of loss in life expectancy for each decedent.ConclusionsHeat exposure was associated with an increased risk of suicide and reduced life expectancy. However, further prospective studies are required to confirm this relationship.Copyright © 2024 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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