Adults aged 65 and older experience higher rates of emergency hospitalisations for cardiovascular and respiratory conditions during and following power outages, according to a new study led by Heather McBrien of the Columbia Mailman School of Public Health and colleagues. The research, published on 12 March in the open-access journal PLOS Medicine, highlights a growing but under-recognised public health concern affecting older populations.
Across the United States, power outages have become more frequent and longer in duration, largely driven by severe weather linked to climate change and the strain on ageing electrical infrastructure. Earlier research conducted in New York State suggested that outages may contribute to increased hospitalisations among older adults, particularly for heart and lung conditions. These risks are often tied to the loss of essential services such as air conditioning, heating, communication devices, and electrically powered medical equipment, including oxygen support systems. However, until recently, national-level evidence on this issue had been limited.
To address this gap, the researchers conducted a nationwide analysis using data from 2018. They identified power outages across the country and examined healthcare records from approximately 23 million Medicare beneficiaries. By analysing daily rates of emergency hospital admissions, the study was able to estimate the broader health impacts of outages on older adults at a national scale.
The findings revealed that power outages lasting more than eight hours were associated with noticeable increases in hospitalisations for both cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. Respiratory-related admissions were most likely to occur on the same day as the outage, reflecting immediate vulnerabilities such as loss of temperature control or respiratory support. In contrast, cardiovascular-related hospitalisations were more likely to peak on the day following an outage, suggesting delayed physiological stress or complications. Overall, the researchers estimated that 4,246 additional hospitalisations among adults aged 65 and over in 2018 could be attributed to power outages.
The study underscores the importance of strengthening electrical grid reliability as a critical public health intervention. Improving infrastructure resilience could help reduce preventable health risks, particularly for vulnerable populations. In addition, targeted measures—such as ensuring access to backup batteries for medical devices and mobile phones, or providing generators to maintain heating and cooling systems—may offer practical ways to mitigate harm during outages.
The authors emphasise that their findings demonstrate a clear link between power outages and increased hospitalisation risks among older adults. They note that the magnitude of risk rises with the proportion of the population affected by an outage. As climate change continues to intensify extreme weather events and place further strain on ageing energy systems, the need for preventative strategies becomes more urgent. Future research examining individual-level data may provide deeper insights into risk patterns and help inform more precise interventions to safeguard health.
More information: Heather McBrien et al, The association between power outages and cardiovascular and respiratory hospitalizations among US Medicare beneficiaries in 2018: A case-crossover study, PLOS Medicine. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1004923
Journal information: PLOS Medicine Provided by PLOS
