What we learned about climate and health

Cardiovascular outcomes showed some of the strongest associations with extreme temperatures. In a nationwide study conducted in collaboration with Magen David Adom of 12,401 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests, exposure to extreme summer heat increased cardiac arrest risk more than threefold (OR=3.34), while extreme winter cold increased risk by 75% (OR=1.75) (Kranc et al., 2021).

Similarly, among 54,909 hospitalizations for atrial fibrillation, both extreme heat and extreme cold increased admission risk. Interestingly, the magnitude of the effect diminished as each season progressed, suggesting some degree of physiological or behavioral adaptation to seasonal temperature extremes (Yarza et al., 2023).

A separate study demonstrated clear seasonality in diabetic ketoacidosis admissions in southern Israel (Ghalion et al., 2025), highlighting that climate-related effects may also extend to metabolic disorders.

The most consistent findings have emerged in perinatal health.

Gat et al. (2021) and Shashar et al. (2020) first demonstrated links between heat and adverse pregnancy outcomes: Gat et al. found that high ambient temperature raised the risk of preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM) in Bedouin-Arab women (RR=1.19), while Shashar et al. showed that warmer pregnancies increased preeclampsia risk. PPROM emerged as one of the most sensitive perinatal outcomes, more responsive than standard preterm birth, likely because it is less influenced by medical decision-making and better reflects the body’s physiological response to heat.

In collaborative studies with our colleagues at the Hebrew University, larger cohorts confirmed these effects: extreme heat was associated with higher risks of late preterm and early-term births (Spolter et al., 2020) and elevated preeclampsia incidence (Youssim et al., 2023), whereas cold exposure increased small-for-gestational-age births (Golovenzitz et al., 2026).

Together, these findings suggest that climate-related exposures influence multiple stages of pregnancy, from fetal growth to hypertensive disorders and the timing of delivery.

Several studies indicate that environmental conditions may influence neurological disorders.

Among 7,032 migraine patients, short-term exposure to solar radiation increased migraine-related emergency visits by 23% (OR=1.23), while NO₂ exposure increased risk by 41% (OR=1.41). Importantly, high temperatures and low humidity amplified these effects, producing a twofold increase in migraine risk during summer periods (Peles et al., 2026).

In 9,382 patients with vertigo, exposure to elevated barometric pressure for two consecutive days increased vertigo risk by 21%, with even stronger effects among hypertensive patients (Kaminer et al., 2026).

Long-term environmental exposures may also contribute to neurodegenerative disease. In a study including 3,343 Parkinson's disease cases, higher long-term solar radiation exposure was associated with a 23% increase in Parkinson's disease risk (OR=1.23), while PM10 exposure increased risk by 6% (Karakis et al., 2023).

Climate-sensitive effects were also observed in mental health. In a study of 3,100 suicide attempts, a 5°C increase in summer temperature was associated with a 59% increase in suicide attempt risk (OR=1.59). The association was strongest among individuals with a history of previous suicide attempts (Yarza et al., 2020).

Environmental exposures were also linked to allergic and inflammatory disorders. Among patients with vernal keratoconjunctivitis, temperature increased exacerbation risk by 75% (OR=1.75), while solar radiation increased risk by 37% (OR=1.37). Strong associations were also observed for NO₂, ozone, and particulate matter (Levanon et al., 2023).

Prenatal exposure to solar radiation and ozone was additionally associated with increased odds of type 1 diabetes in offspring, suggesting that environmental exposures during fetal development may influence later immune function (Taha-Khalde et al., 2021).