ABSTRACT
There is a widespread belief in the UK that large numbers of elderly people suffer death from hypothermia in the winter months. This is not borne out by the statistics which show rather that there is an excess of winter deaths due largely to respiratory and circulatory disease, such as heart attack and stroke [Curwen, 1997]. Several studies have now established that there is a relationship between these deaths and seasonal reductions in temperature [Bean and Mills, 1938; Dunnigan et al., 1970; Bull, 1973; West and Lowe, 1976; Bainton et al., 1977; Khaw, 1995] but the nature of this relationship is unclear. Many European countries with more severe winters than the UK suffer much lower winter mortality [Laake and Sverre, 1996] and though there has been a trend towards the greater use of central heating, the number of excess winter deaths caused by circulatory disease shows little decline [Keatinge et al., 1989]. There is a trend towards fewer winter respiratory deaths [Curwen, 1997]. Recent studies examining the way in which populations are exposed to cold stress have indicated that outdoor excursions and the degree of cold protection involved, as well as the indoor climate, may play a role in the causation of winter deaths [Eurowinter Group, 1997].
