Canberra, March 17 : Extreme heat is a major contributor to heart disease in Australia, responsible for 7.3 per cent of the total cardiovascular disease burden, a new study said on Monday.

Between 2003 and 2018, hot weather accounted for nearly 50,000 years of healthy life lost annually, with South Australia experiencing the highest impact and the Northern Territory the lowest, according to the study funded by the Adelaide University China Fee Scholarships and the Australian Research Council Discovery Program.

Under future climate scenarios, the burden of cardiovascular disease is expected to rise steadily. By the 2050s, under a high-emissions scenario, it is projected to more than double compared to the baseline, with the Northern Territory experiencing the most significant increase, said the study published in the European Heart Journal.

"When the weather is hot, our hearts have to work harder to help us cool down. This added pressure can be dangerous, especially for people with cardiovascular disease," said Bi Peng, the research lead from the University of Adelaide Public Health and Environmental Medicine.

"Many of us have experienced how a warming climate can make us feel unwell, particularly during longer periods of extreme heat," Bi said, adding the exact number of people living with severe heart disease or dying prematurely due to rising temperatures remains uncertain. It is crucial to understand how this burden will grow in the future.

Using disability-adjusted life years to measure lost healthy years due to illness or death, the study underscores the urgent need for adaptation and mitigation strategies, including urban cooling initiatives, public health campaigns, and emergency response measures in hot days, Xinhua news agency reported.

While the study focusses on Australia, researchers note that the link between heat and heart disease is a global concern, Bi said, adding investing in climate mitigation and adaptation strategies could significantly reduce the future impact of heat-related cardiovascular disease worldwide.

/IANS