Common Medications Have Little-Known Side Effect: More Heat Risk

Some of the most commonly prescribed and over-the-counter drugs share the same little-known side effect: increasing the risk of heat-related illness.

Extreme heat is expanding across the middle of the US heading into the weekend, with nearly 38 million people facing major or extreme heat, according to National Weather Service forecasts issued Wednesday. That includes states like Oklahoma and Michigan, which have some of the highest heart disease mortality rates in the nation. As climate change makes hot temperatures more frequent and intense around the world, the risk of heat-related illness is also rising.

Not only does having a heart condition ...