Adjusted Mortality Rate Increased for Seniors After Hurricane-Related Flooding
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
FRIDAY, Aug. 8, 2025 -- For older adults, the overall adjusted mortality risk is higher in flooded regions versus nonflooded regions for up to five years after hurricane landfall, according to a study published online Aug. 5 in Frontiers in Public Health.
Olivia J. Keenan, from the Weill Cornell Medical College at Cornell University in New York City, and colleagues examined mortality rates among older adults who continued living in ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) impacted by flooding from Hurricane Sandy for up to five years after landfall in a propensity score-matched analysis conducted across the tristate area. All-cause mortality rates were compared between matched flooded versus nonflooded ZCTAs among Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) beneficiaries aged 65 years and older who remained in the same ZCTA from 2013 to 2017.
The researchers found that the risk for all-cause mortality was 9 percent higher for Medicare FFS beneficiaries who resided and remained in flood-impacted ZCTAs up to five years after the event compared with the beneficiaries in ZCTAs not impacted by flooding, in the matched adjusted analysis (adjusted mortality rate ratio, 1.09). Across geographic regions, adjusted mortality risk varied, with significant 8 and 19 percent higher risks of long-term mortality up to five years after the event seen in New York City ZCTAs and in Connecticut ZCTAs; for New Jersey and New York state, the results were not significant.
"It's possible that regional nuances in Connecticut influence long-term mortality effects postflood," coauthor Arnab K. Ghosh, M.D., also from Weill Cornell Medical College, said in a statement. "This could include region-specific policies, infrastructure disruption, and disaster relief."
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted August 2025
Read this next
Older Age, Lower Fitness Linked to Atrial Ectopic Burden
FRIDAY, Aug. 29, 2025 -- Age is a significant independent risk factor for atrial ectopic burden (AEB) and ventricular ectopic burden (VEB), according to a study presented at the...
Geriatric Assessment in the Emergency Department Reduces Admission Rates
FRIDAY, Aug. 29, 2025 -- A comprehensive assessment of older adults being seen in the emergency department can help reduce hospital admissions, according to a study published...
2010 to 2023 Saw Decline in Births, Increase in Deaths in the United States
FRIDAY, Aug. 29, 2025 -- From 2010 to 2023, the number of births in the United States declined, and the number of deaths increased, according to the Aug. 27 National Vital...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.