Study Links Israel Heat Stress to 5,500 Extra Hospital Days a Year

A study of Israeli hospital data from 2010 through 2023 found that higher heat stress increased emergency visits and lengthened admissions for chronic illnesses. During high-stress weeks, emergency visits rose 41% for lung disease, 18% for cardiovascular disease and 28% for kidney disease. Researchers estimated that each one-unit rise in the heat-stress index produces about 5,500 additional hospital days a year across the conditions studied. They projected that the two-unit increase measured in July and August from 2014 to 2025 could add about NIS 380 million in health-system costs over a decade.