Pregliasco warns: "Every day puts increased stress on the heart and metabolism."

"Every additional day of exposure to heat increases cardiovascular, respiratory, and metabolic stress. This is especially true for the elderly, chronically ill, and frail, but increasingly also for young and apparently healthy individuals." Fabrizio Pregliasco, director of the School of Specialization in Hygiene and Preventive Medicine at the University of Bologna, emphasizes the risks associated with the duration of heat waves. Milano.  

"The heatwave affecting Italy can no longer be considered merely an exceptional meteorological event," explains the doctor. "The high temperatures that have persisted for weeks, accompanied by high humidity and tropical nights, are having a growing impact on the population's health and the resilience of the healthcare system. Heat," warns Pregliasco, "is not an isolated phenomenon that dissipates over the course of a day. It is a risk factor that accumulates over time."  

"The effects are now evident even in healthcare services, with an increase in emergency room visits for dehydration, heat stroke, heart failure, respiratory failure, worsening of chronic conditions, and falls caused by hypotension and disorientation," observes the past president of Anpas and vice president of Samaritan International. "We cannot simply count the red dots," he warns. "We must also measure the true health impact of heatwaves, through timely epidemiological surveillance systems that allow us to assess hospitalizations, access to emergency services, and related mortality. Only with up-to-date data can we plan effective interventions and protect the most vulnerable." 

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"Even intense thunderstorms in northern regions," Pregliasco continues, "shouldn't lead to a false sense of security. The arrival of thunderstorms may temporarily reduce temperatures, but they introduce other health risks related to hailstorms, gusts of wind, lightning, and extreme weather events. This is the flipside of climate change, which is making the alternation between exceptional heat and violent weather events increasingly frequent. Prevention remains the most effective tool: maintain proper hydration, avoid exposure during the central hours of the day, use air-conditioned environments appropriately, limit physical activity during the hottest hours, and check the condition of the elderly, people living alone, and patients with chronic diseases daily. Heat waves have become a permanent feature of Italian summers," the expert reiterates, "and require a structured response involving healthcare, the Civil Protection Department, local governments, and citizens. Climate change is now also a health challenge and must be addressed with prevention, monitoring, and adaptation tools appropriate to the new reality." 

(Adnkronos)