The Deadly Rise of Cold-Related Illness at the Intersection of Social Inequality
From A Health Podyssey by Health Affairs
May 19, 2026 · 20 min · Episode 265
About this episode
The episode discusses the impact of climate change and social vulnerability on cold-related illness hospitalizations in the U.S.
Health Affairs Publishing’s Rob Lott speaks to Dhara Patel of the Cambridge Health Alliance and Harvard Medical School about her recent paper exploring national trends in cold‑related illness hospitalizations and how climate change and social vulnerability shape health risks across the United States. Order the May 2026 issue of Health Affairs . Sign up for our free Health Affairs newsletters to stay up to date on health policy news and analysis.
People in this episode
Host: Rob Lott
Guest: Dhara Patel
Topics covered
- cold-related illness
- social inequality
- climate change
- health risks
- hospitalizations
Keywords
- cold-related illness
- hospitalizations
- climate change
- social vulnerability
- health risks
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Cambridge Health Alliance, Harvard Medical School, Health Affairs
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