A new Stanford study found older adults can face heat beyond their bodies’ ability to cope at far lower temperatures than younger people as the planet warms
Heat waves would commonly kill a lot of elderly and still do in places without regular AC. Even places where AC is common still set up places where people can go to access AC if they don’t have it at home for various reasons.
You’re also seeing people living longer thanks to modern medicine with reduced overall health. So you have a larger population sensitive to heat because they can survive other things that could kill them.
You can deal with heat until you can’t.
Heat waves would commonly kill a lot of elderly and still do in places without regular AC. Even places where AC is common still set up places where people can go to access AC if they don’t have it at home for various reasons.
You’re also seeing people living longer thanks to modern medicine with reduced overall health. So you have a larger population sensitive to heat because they can survive other things that could kill them.