The BIOMA Institute and Sanitas study the effect of heat waves on the urban population in Spain.

Spain is facing a growing challenge due to heat waves, which are becoming more frequent and intense due to climate change. According to data of the World Health Organization (WHO), heat waves are the leading cause of climate-related mortality. Moreover, this meteorological phenomenon not only affects people's health, increasing the risk of heat stroke and respiratory problems, but also has a significant impact on agriculture, Economics and the country's environment.

For this reason, the BIOMA Institute is carrying out, at framework of the Chair Sanitas Salud y Medioambiente, a study that will analyze the effects that cities and environmental factors, such as heat waves, have on the health of Spaniards.

In this regard, the family physician of the Sanitas Reina Victoria Medical Center (Madrid) María Andrea Castillo explained that days of extreme heat can aggravate the risks in people with chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases or respiratory diseases and can cause acute renal lesions, in the central nervous system and in the musculoskeletal system.

For his part, the director of the BIOMA Institute of the University of Navarra, Jesús Miguel Santamaría, has emphasized the even more serious status experienced by cities."Urban areas experience higher temperatures than surrounding areas due to the concentration of buildings, roads, pavements and human activities. This effect is especially B during the nights," he has pointed out.

Santamaría went on to argue that the lack of vegetation and the abundance of asphalt surfaces enhance this heat island effect, exacerbating the effects of high temperatures on health. In this sense, the greening of cities and the generation of green spaces become a critical need to mitigate these effects.

For all these reasons, Sanitas medical specialists have drawn up a series of recommendations to be followed to protect oneself against heat waves, including: reduce physical effort, keep the home cool, learn to recognize warning signs of heat stroke (increased body temperature, dry skin, exhaustion, shortness of breath, dizziness, confusion or palpitations). In case of heat stroke, it is necessary to seek medical attention, they warned.