Hospital Admissions for Congestive Heart Failure Decrease with Increasing Temperature in a Tropical Climate

Abstract

Study Objectives: A previous study of emergency department visits for congestive heart failure (CHF) to hospitals in New Jersey, USA revealed a marked increase in the colder months. This was attributed in part to increased catecholamine release in response to cold weather. We hypothesized that the extreme high temperatures in the tropics would also place an additional burden on the heart and therefore there should be an increase in the number of hospital admissions for CHF during the warmest months compared to the coolest months in a tropical climate.