compared with other age groups, older individuals are at a greater risk for adverse cardiovascular events during heat waves. During the 1995 heat wave in Chicago, and the 2003 heat wave in France, the odds of mortality rose exponentially beyond 65 years, reaching a staggering 1 death per 100 people in those aged 90 and above. Although the links between extreme heat exposure and cardiovascular related deaths are strong in epidemiological studies, strong physiological links are less clear. More specifically, the mechanisms by which EHE increases the risk of conditions such as heart attack and cardiovascular decompensation are not fully resolved. In part I of this talk, the speaker will introduce classical studies and more recent experiments using modern imagine technologies (e.g., ultrasound, PET-CT). These studies will be used to illustrate the multiple pathways by which EHE stresses the cardiovascular system, and how this is augmented in older individuals and clinical populations.

In part II, the efficacy of different personal cooling solutions will be discussed. The speaker will focus on i) how different non-air conditioning solutions impact cardiac stress in young and older people, and ii) how these effects vary depending on the climate type (i.e., very hot dry vs hot-humid). Identifying cost effective solutions and how their efficacy depends on the prevailing climate type is critical for mitigating heat-related deaths in regions without air conditioning. The experiments in part I and II underscore the importance of high quality physiological data in solving the emerging climate and health crisis.