Impact of global warming on neurological diseases could overwhelm health service, doctors warn

Darragh Mc Donagh

The Irish health service is at risk of being overwhelmed by a spike in neurological diseases as a result of rising temperatures due to climate change, according to a new study.

A group of doctors have called for urgent planning and the introduction of emergency protocols as they highlighted the impact of climate change on conditions such as stroke, epilepsy, Alzheimer’s disease, and multiple sclerosis.

They said climate change had led to a significant increase in global temperatures and the frequency of extreme heat events, noting that the past decade had been the warmest on record in Ireland.

There is growing evidence that the incidence and severity of many common neurological conditions are affected by climate change, the neurologists wrote in an article published in the latest issue of the Irish Journal of Medical Science.

They warned that higher temperatures could exacerbate existing neurological conditions and result in increased presentations, placing unsustainable demand on Irish health services.

“A small increase in demand for already stretched public services has the potential to dramatically overwhelm the health system,” the authors wrote.

“It is essential for the Irish medical community to be aware of this and to consider the potential impact the changing climate will have on other disciplines and service demands.”

The incidence of stroke has been shown to increase at both hot and cold temperature extremes, the study found, while air pollution has also been identified as a major risk factor.

There is also a well-established link between epilepsy presentations and extreme temperatures, while heat and humidity also play important roles in determining the frequency of seizures.

The situation in relation to epilepsy is also complicated by the fact that some antiseizure medications reduce sweating, making it difficult for patients to thermoregulate. This may present a problem in the context of rising global temperatures, the authors said.

Previous studies have found a correlation between high temperatures and migraine presentations, suggesting that hospital admissions increase by 7.5 per cent for every rise of five degrees celsius.

Given that headaches account for 42 per cent of neurology consultations at tertiary centres, any increase in presentations would place a “significant burden” on services, the authors wrote, with a rise in hospital admissions and higher demand for brain imaging.

Multiple sclerosis is “strongly influenced” by climate and environment, the study found, with up to 80 per cent of patients complaining of heat sensitivity. Warmer seasons are also associated with brain lesion activity and worse cognitive performance.

“As global temperatures rise, individuals with MS appear to be a particularly vulnerable population, given the well-established link between heat and symptom worsening in the disorder,” the authors wrote.

The neurologists said global warming would “undoubtedly” put a strain on the Irish health service. They said there should be open discussion about how rising temperatures may affect medical conditions.

Patients should be offered guidance and emergency protocols should be put in place for the most vulnerable patients during heatwaves, they added.

“There is something uniquely tragic in the brain’s vulnerability to the changing climate and the cognitive dissonance that allows us to accept these facts yet to do very little about it,” they concluded.