# Exploring Emerging Trends in Climate Change’s Impacts on the Cardiopulmonary Health of Adults Living in the Canton of Valais, Switzerland: Preliminary Autumn and Winter Results from a Pilot Study

## TL;DR

This study shows that temperature and air pollution in Valais, Switzerland, are linked to emergency visits for heart and lung issues, especially among older and chronically ill people.

## Contribution

The study demonstrates a novel approach by linking real-time environmental data with healthcare data to inform climate-resilient health planning in alpine regions.

## Key findings

- Colder weeks were associated with higher cardiopulmonary emergency admissions.
- A demographic and clinical risk index was the strongest predictor of emergency admissions.
- Ozone exposure showed a potential but non-significant link to emergency admissions.

## Abstract

Public health relevance—How does this work relate to a public health issue?
This study provides preliminary evidence that short-term variations in temperature and air pollution are associated with fluctuations in cardiopulmonary emergency department admissions, highlighting the vulnerability of aging and chronically ill populations in climate-sensitive alpine regions.By demonstrating the feasibility of linking real-time environmental data with healthcare utilization, this work informs public health surveillance, early-warning systems, and climate-resilient healthcare planning aimed at anticipating demand for emergency care and reducing preventable morbidity under changing climatic conditions.

This study provides preliminary evidence that short-term variations in temperature and air pollution are associated with fluctuations in cardiopulmonary emergency department admissions, highlighting the vulnerability of aging and chronically ill populations in climate-sensitive alpine regions.

By demonstrating the feasibility of linking real-time environmental data with healthcare utilization, this work informs public health surveillance, early-warning systems, and climate-resilient healthcare planning aimed at anticipating demand for emergency care and reducing preventable morbidity under changing climatic conditions.

Public health significance—Why is this work of significance to public health?
This study strengthens the evidence base on how environmental exposures related to climate change influence emergency department demand, thereby supporting population-level risk assessment and informing strategies to protect vulnerable groups from climate-related health impacts.Its significance lies in its potential to support proactive public health action by integrating environmental and health system data, enabling earlier detection of climate-sensitive health effects and guiding preventive, adaptive, and resource-allocation strategies within healthcare systems.

This study strengthens the evidence base on how environmental exposures related to climate change influence emergency department demand, thereby supporting population-level risk assessment and informing strategies to protect vulnerable groups from climate-related health impacts.

Its significance lies in its potential to support proactive public health action by integrating environmental and health system data, enabling earlier detection of climate-sensitive health effects and guiding preventive, adaptive, and resource-allocation strategies within healthcare systems.

Public health implications—What are the key implications or messages for practitioners, policy makers and/or researchers in public health?
For public health practitioners and policymakers, these findings underscore the need to integrate environmental and climatic indicators into routine health surveillance and emergency preparedness planning to anticipate climate-sensitive fluctuations in healthcare.For researchers, this study highlights the value of interdisciplinary, data-linkage approaches combining environmental monitoring and health service utilization, supporting further longitudinal and multi-site research to inform evidence-based climate adaptation strategies within health systems.

For public health practitioners and policymakers, these findings underscore the need to integrate environmental and climatic indicators into routine health surveillance and emergency preparedness planning to anticipate climate-sensitive fluctuations in healthcare.

For researchers, this study highlights the value of interdisciplinary, data-linkage approaches combining environmental monitoring and health service utilization, supporting further longitudinal and multi-site research to inform evidence-based climate adaptation strategies within health systems.

Background: Climate change and air pollution are major threats to cardiopulmonary health, yet their population-level impacts in alpine regions remain insufficiently documented. Methods: This pilot study aimed to generate preliminary evidence and assess the feasibility of a larger investigation by examining associations between meteorological and air pollution variables and adult cardiopulmonary emergency department admissions in the canton of Valais, Switzerland. Results: Weekly admissions averaged 4.2 cases (range: 1–14), with peaks in late January and early February. Mean weekly temperature was inversely associated with admissions (IRR = 0.92), indicating higher demand during colder weeks. Ozone exposure showed a positive but non-statistically significant association with weekly cardiopulmonary admissions (IRR = 1.014), suggesting a potential signal that warrants confirmation in larger studies. A demographic–clinical risk index (age, sex, diabetes) was the strongest predictor of care demand (IRR = 1.52), exceeding the influence of individual environmental variables. Place of residence, municipality, and altitude were not significant predictors. Recruitment feasibility was high, with three refusals among 204 screened patients. Conclusions: These preliminary findings highlight the need for longitudinal, high-resolution studies and support integrating climate resilience into healthcare preparedness, early-warning systems, and sustainable health planning.