Coroners ignore heat in many deaths. That’s dangerous.

Overlooked health threat kills thousands yearly in U.S. but medical examiners rarely cite it.

Heat is the leading weather-related cause of death in the United States, killing an average of 138 people each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But a new study in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine suggests that the problem may be even worse than previously thought — and that many deaths from heat are being overlooked.

The study, which looked at data from over 13,000 deaths in Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Maryland, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas and Washington from 2010 to 2019, found that only 3% of deaths from heat were listed on death certificates.

A large majority — 97% — of deaths from heat were attributed to other causes, such as heart disease, stroke and pneumonia.

The researchers say that this underreporting of heat-related deaths is a serious problem, because it means that the true extent of the problem is not being recognized.

“This is a major public health concern,” said study lead author Dr. Kristie Ebi, a professor of global health at the University of Washington. “Heat is a serious health threat, and we need to be doing more to protect people from it.”

There are a number of reasons why heat-related deaths may be underreported, the researchers say. One possibility is that medical examiners are not trained to recognize heat-related deaths. Another possibility is that families of people who die from heat may not be aware that heat was a contributing factor.

Whatever the reason, the researchers say that it is important to raise awareness of the problem of heat-related deaths.

“We need to do a better job of educating medical examiners and the public about the dangers of heat,” Ebi said. “We also need to develop better systems for tracking heat-related deaths.”

In the meantime, the researchers say that there are a number of things that people can do to protect themselves from heat-related illness. These include:

• Drinking plenty of fluids
• Staying in air-conditioned areas
• Avoiding strenuous activity during the hottest parts of the day
• Wearing loose, lightweight clothing
• Taking cool showers or baths