A rigorous 22-year analysis of US mortality data reveals three actionable findings for healthcare providers and patients. First, ischemic heart disease mortality increases substantially—by approximately 20%—when comparing the coldest to warmest ambient temperatures, establishing temperature as a significant risk modifier. Second, this cold-related risk is temporally acute: the heightened mortality risk peaks during the month of cold exposure and subsequently declines, suggesting mechanisms related to immediate physiological stress rather than cumulative seasonal effects.
Third, and notably, this temperature-mortality relationship holds consistently across all examined demographic and geographic subgroups—meaning age, sex, race, and regional climate variations do not diminish the cold effect. Clinicians should use these findings to strengthen winter cardiac care protocols, enhance patient education about cold-weather precautions, and inform resource allocation strategies during winter months across all US regions and populations.
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