Heat waves and heart failure: Dilemmas in advising patients

Abstract

The incidence of extreme weather conditions is expected to rise over the next 50 years. The population of older and frail people is also expected to rise. Many of these older people will suffer from heart failure. Heat waves present special problems to patients in heart failure and the professionals who care for them. This article identifies lapses in the knowledge base relating to advice for patients in heart failure in the areas of lifestyle modification, medication and assessment. It also identifies the policy conclusions which have emerged from the analysis of heat waves which have occurred in the past and how these conclusions may be shaped to meet the needs of heart failure patients during conditions of extreme heat.