(Press-News.org) Severe weather events have long-term health consequences for vulnerable older adults, according to a study in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society based on data following Hurricane Harvey.
When they analyzed Medicare claims data for nearly 1.8 million fee-for-service beneficiaries aged ≥65 years in Texas and Louisiana, investigators found that older adults who lived through high rainfall during Hurricane Harvey had a 3% elevated risk of dying within 1 year of the hurricane. Mortality risk was highest among those with chronic health conditions requiring regular care, including chronic kidney disease and Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. The largest number of attributed deaths was among the Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias population: an estimated 1,245 deaths in the year following Hurricane Harvey.
Also, Black and Hispanic/Latino populations experienced 6% and 13% higher mortality risks, respectively, than other groups, highlighting disparities in vulnerability to disasters.
“These findings add to the evidence that disasters don’t just cause short-term disruptions. They expose and magnify the underlying fragilities in our health system,” said corresponding author Sue Anne Bell, PhD, of the University of Michigan. “For older adults who rely on consistent care, even a temporary breakdown can have lasting consequences.”
URL upon publication: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jgs.70237
Additional Information
NOTE: The information contained in this release is protected by copyright. Please include journal attribution in all coverage. For more information or to obtain a PDF of any study, please contact: Sara Henning-Stout, newsroom@wiley.com.
About the Journal
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society is the go-to journal for clinical aging research. We provide a diverse, interprofessional community of healthcare professionals with the latest insights on geriatrics education, clinical practice, and public policy — all supporting the high-quality, person-centered care essential to our well-being as we age.
About Wiley
Wiley is a global leader in authoritative content and research intelligence for the advancement of scientific discovery, innovation, and learning. With more than 200 years at the center of the scholarly ecosystem, Wiley combines trusted publishing heritage with AI-powered platforms to transform how knowledge is discovered, accessed, and applied. From individual researchers and students to Fortune 500 R&D teams, Wiley enables the transformation of scientific breakthroughs into real-world impact. From knowledge to impact—Wiley is redefining what's possible in science and learning. Visit us at Wiley.com and Investors.Wiley.com. Follow us on Facebook, X, LinkedIn and Instagram.
END
Do natural disasters have long-term impacts on mortality in older adults?
2025-12-17
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Modification improves sodium‐ion batteries as an alternative to lithium-ion batteries
2025-12-17
Sodium-ion batteries are a cheaper and more abundant alternative to lithium-ion batteries, and they could power future electric cars and grid storage if they could be made to store enough energy. NaNi1/3Fe1/3Mn1/3O2 is a material used for sodium-ion batteries, but it suffers from various constraints. In research published in Carbon Energy, scientists used what’s called a valence engineering strategy to modify the oxidation state of this material so that it is both higher energy and more practical.
The modification led to a sodium-ion battery that lasts longer, works well ...
Parasports provide a range of benefits for people with cerebral palsy
2025-12-17
A review in Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology summarizes the multiple benefits of sport participation for people with cerebral palsy. The authors present a summary of available sports, as well as adaptations, to help clinicians discuss parasport participation with patients and families with cerebral palsy and related conditions.
The review provides a practical, evidence-informed resource that can help families, clinicians, and community leaders understand the wide-ranging value of parasports. By reframing engagement in sport ...
How does grandparental care affect children’s health?
2025-12-17
Research published in Health Economics indicates that regular childcare provided by grandparents can ease the pressures on parents but may have some negative impacts on children’s health.
The study, which was based on data from more than 11,000 children and nearly 9,000 parents in Germany, used geographic distance between families and grandparents to identify the effects of regular grandparental care. Mothers reported higher satisfaction with both their leisure time and childcare situations—by 11% and 9%, respectively—when grandparental care was available. Fathers also had ...
Why are there so many Nordic mediators?
2025-12-17
People from the Nordic countries are often selected as international mediators in wars and armed conflicts. In a new book, peace researchers at Uppsala University describe what makes mediators specifically from the Nordic countries so popular. Where do they come from, why do they take on these missions and what sort of mandate do they have?
The Nordic countries have a long history of mediating in peace processes. Dag Hammarskjöld, Anna Lindh and Staffan de Mistura are three examples. Hans Grundberg is acting as mediator in the current negotiations on Yemen. History offers many examples of mediation initiatives and processes aimed at alleviating ...
Young shark species more vulnerable to extinction
2025-12-17
Whether a species just freshly emerged, or it has been around for millions of years does not dictate its vulnerability. This has been the assumption of an old debate on whether species’ age plays a role in extinction risk. Researchers at the University of Zurich (UZH) have now led an international study that challenges this idea, at least when it comes to sharks and rays. According to their study, young species are by far the most likely to go extinct.
The team examined data from over 20,000 fossil records worldwide dating back to the Cretaceous period, using innovative methods to reconstruct the ...
Mobile fetal heart monitoring linked to fewer newborn deaths in Tanzania
2025-12-17
Ninety-nine percent of global newborn deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where pregnant women often struggle to access adequate fetal monitoring. In Tanzania, with 24 neonatal deaths per 1000 live births, a new wireless fetal heart rate monitoring technology is showing promise in preventing newborn complications and deaths.
A recent study led by researchers from Hiroshima University, Japan, and Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Tanzania, evaluated the effectiveness of a mobile cardiotocography device for monitoring fetal heart rate (iCTG) in pregnant women at four primary health facilities ...
Bluey’s dad offered professorial chair in archaeology at Griffith University
2025-12-17
Griffith University is delighted to announce renowned archaeologist and 2019 Father of the Year Dr Bandit Heeler has been offered a professorial chair.
Dr Bandit Heeler, a Brisbane-based blue heeler of international repute, is celebrated for his fieldwork in the remote jungles of Indonesia, his landmark publications on the ritual significance of dance-mode freezing in pre-literate societies, and his seminal studies on the development of a language capacity in the Cockapoo.
Griffith University’s Vice Chancellor and President Professor Carolyn Evans said the appointment was ...
Beyond small data limitations: Transfer learning-enabled framework for predicting mechanical properties of aluminum matrix composites
2025-12-17
A research team led by Chang Keke from the Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering (NIMTE), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), has developed an innovative machine learning framework (PAMCs-MP) for predicting the mechanical properties of particle-reinforced aluminum matrix composites (PAMCs). Despite limited existing datasets, the approach uses extensive pre-training on larger aluminium alloy datasets to guide multi-objective optimization tasks effectively. The model achieves high predictive accuracy, R² values of over 92% for ultimate tensile strength and over 90% for elongation, demonstrating ...
Unveiling non-thermal catalytic origin of direct current-promoted catalysis for energy-efficient transformation of greenhouse gases to valuable chemicals
2025-12-17
Catalytic dry reforming of methane (DRM) is a key reaction for the sustainable utilization of major greenhouse gases, CO2 and CH4. However, conventional DRM often suffers from severe catalyst deactivation due to high temperature requirements. Applying direct current (DC) to catalyst materials has emerged as a promising strategy to overcome these limitations, yet the underlying DC-enhanced catalytic mechanism remains elusive. Here, we unveil the non-thermal catalytic origin of DC-applied DRM over Pd/CeO2 through multimodal operando analyses, providing a microscopic physicochemical framework ...
Chronic breathlessness emerging as a hidden strain on hospitals
2025-12-17
Chronic breathlessness, a symptom often overlooked by healthcare systems, is associated with longer lengths of hospital stay on already overstretched healthcare resources, says new Flinders University research.
A new study, published in the Australian Health Review, highlights an urgent need for clinicians and policymakers to recognise chronic breathlessness as a major driver of hospital admissions and healthcare costs.
Historically, health systems have focused on sudden, short-term episodes of breathlessness (acute breathlessness), ...