Heat-related mortality is on the rise in the United States, where high temperatures have caused or contributed to the deaths of more than 21,500 people since 1999, new research has found. The last seven years in particular have been marked by a surge in heat-related deaths, including 2,325 deaths in 2023 — the planet’s hottest year on record, according to a study published Monday in the medical journal JAMA. While previous research had not portrayed a clear trend in heat-related mortality in the U.S. — and in fact showed a slight downward trend from 1975 to 2018 — the latest paper is the first to demonstrate a clear uptick from 2016 to 2023. Researchers said the current trajectory is likely to continue due to climate change.

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