Weather variability and chronic respiratory diseases

Temperature variability is significantly associated with mortality and morbidity in the general population, with extreme heat and cold known to have significant effects on particular risk groups, including those with chronic respiratory diseases (CRD) such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. 

In India, the impact of heat on persons with CRD is poorly understood. Given that South Asia stands out as one of the hotspots for extreme heat events as the climate warms, such understanding is critical to inform the design of early warning systems and programs to protect people with CRD. 

While previous studies have observed reduction in physical activity in persons with CRD as the ambient temperature increases, it is unclear to what extent this reduction is simply a result of higher heat stress which occurs even in healthy individuals rather than due to the impact of CRD. 

To provide better early warnings of extreme weather conditions for such at-risk groups, it is necessary to understand the additional physiological strain placed by weather variability on persons with CRD, and the behavioural adaptations (such as reduced physical activity) used to deal with extreme weather conditions. While laboratory measurements of physiological response have been conducted, this study seeks to conduct studies in real-life conditions. 

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