By admin 
PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Extreme heat can be deadly even inside a home, according to an analysis of Maricopa County medical examiner data.
Read more Savannah Guthrie shares emotional plea 9 months after mother Nancy Guthrie goes missing in Tucson
Of 486 confirmed heat-related deaths this year, at least 149 people died in their own homes. Another 100 died at hospitals or health care facilities. The location where a person died does not necessarily indicate where they were exposed to heat.
Many of the people who died indoors were 60 or older and had known health concerns, including diabetes, heart disease and kidney or lung conditions, according to the data.
Dr. Freya Spielberg, a professor and chair of research at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix, said medications can also make it harder for the body to respond to heat.
“A lot of people are on medications that actually decrease their body’s ability to adapt to heat and put them at higher risk of heat related illness and really need to take extra precautions when being outside in the heat,” Spielberg said.
Stimulants can also increase a person’s risk, she said.
“And people that are on stimulants, it has physiological changes that put their body at higher risk of heat-related death,” Spielberg said.
Read more Tucson Fire responds to vehicle fire near Alvernon, 22nd
Spielberg said many people are unaware of those dangers. She said educators have been working to incorporate patient education into training for medical students and health care providers.
“We are obligated as healthcare providers and as government and public health institutions to prevent deaths that are preventable,” she said.
The county has reported 548 deaths so far this year, according to the latest figures cited in the broadcast report. The medical examiner data analyzed represents only a portion of the reported deaths.
See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it.
Do you have a photo or video of a breaking news story? Send it to us here with a brief description.
Read more Road reopens following crash near Sandario, Kinney