Heat-related deaths in the United States increased 117 percent between 1999 and 2023, with more than 21,500 people dying during that period, according to a new analysis of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.

According to a report published by Axios, heat waves are becoming longer and more intense, and as temperatures continue to rise due to climate change, officials in at-risk areas must expand access to public humidification and cooling centers and make other adjustments.

Deaths in which heat was a primary or contributing cause varied from year to year from 1999 to 2016 before showing steady increases over the past seven years.

The annual death toll peaked at 2,325 last year, when the global climate was the hottest in at least 125,000 years.

When accounting for differences in age, average heat deaths rose by 3.6 percent per year over the 25 years studied, falling by 1.4 percent between 1999 and 2016 before rising by 16.8 percent per year from 2016 to today.< /p>

Hyperthermia-related illnesses develop when the body cannot cool itself adequately or when its temperature exceeds 106 degrees Fahrenheit, at which point organs can stop working and people may become permanently disabled.

This year, the International Labor Organization estimated that workers suffer 22.85 million occupational injuries and 18,970 work-related deaths due to excessive heat each year globally.

Older adults and other people who are isolated or have limited mobility are also more vulnerable to the health effects associated with extreme heat.

Infants and children are also at risk, along with pregnant women who may suffer miscarriage, premature birth and other complications.