Excess heat alters the thermoregulation systems and some pathologies are exacerbated. Blood pressure, heart, stomach and brain are most at risk.
Excess heat is dangerous for all patients with a pathology that alters the thermoregulation systems or considerably increases the general fragility of the organism. Who are they obese o excessively thin, for example, do not adapt well to high temperatures; people with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease may be much more susceptible to excessive heat.
People with cardiovascular disease are also at high risk. The heart and blood vessels are put to the test by the heat and those who have already had heart attacks or strokesuffer from arrhythmias or heart failure or have risk factors such as high cholesterol may have a harder time tolerating high temperatures.
Hypertensive and heart patients, especially if they are elderly, are more sensitive to the negative effects of heat and, for example, may experience sudden drops in blood pressure, especially when going from a lying down to an upright position, the so-called ‘ orthostatic hypotension’.
Those who suffer diabetes, Alzheimer, Parkinson or other neurological pathologies that alter the brain’s response to dehydration are also at higher risk, as they may have difficulty perceiving the sensation of thirst and therefore may experience dehydration more frequently.