Extreme heat worsens chronic health conditions in millions of Americans
Millions of Americans living in areas affected by extreme temperatures tend to be the ones most vulnerable to their potentially life-threatening health effects.
The U.S. is on track to shatter heat records, putting millions of Americans in the most affected parts of the country in harm's way for long-term, life-threatening health problems.
Most states in the South and Southeast, including Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Texas, Virginia and the Carolinas, are facing heat warnings on this Labor Day, according to the National Weather Service.
Extreme heat can be dangerous for anyone, of any age. For many people living in those areas, relentlessly high temperatures can be especially dire.
In states such as Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia and South Carolina, the rates of chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and kidney disease are among the highest in the U.S.
Those diseases make it harder for bodies to cool themselves effectively during heat waves.
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