Observing recent heatwaves in Europe, one pattern has often been remarked on: More women appear to be dying than men. During Europe's then-record summer of 2022, a study found 56% more heat-related deaths among women than men, drawing on mortality data from 35 countries.
Germany, which has just logged its deadliest heat season since 2016, with close to 9,800 heat-related deaths by mid-July, according to the Robert Koch Institute, is seeing the same pattern again this year.Are hormones making heatwaves more dangerous for women?
Some of the recent coverage has leaned on the hormonal reading that women's bodies simply aren't equipped for heat. They sweat less, carry more body fat, and progesterone nudges core temperature up.
But scientists who study the effect of heat on the human body say that's largely incorrect. "Overall, studies usually show only slightly more vulnerability to heat in women compared to men," saidAlexandra Schneider, an environmental epidemiologist and deputy director of the Institute of Epidemiology at Helmholtz Munich. "It's not really a very strong signal."
The small differences that do exist are real: Women do have a lower sweat rate, less skin area relative to body size, and fat distribution that affects thermoregulation. Hormones play a role too, but unevenly across a lifetime.
