Lack of Affordable Air Conditioning Poses Fatal Risk for Diabetes Patients, Experts Warn

The opinion piece by Charles Leonard and Anthony Nicome argues that access to air conditioning should be treated as essential preventive care for people with chronic illnesses, especially diabetes, rather than an optional comfort.

They cite the case of Shauna Thomas, a 55‑year‑old woman in St. Louis who died after three days without air conditioning or water during the 2025 heat wave, with police noting multiple medical issues.

The authors note that clinicians routinely advise patients with diabetes to stay cool, but such advice assumes that cooling is affordable and available, which is not always true.

With roughly 40 million Americans living with diabetes, extreme heat can quickly cause dehydration and exacerbate health conditions, prompting the authors to call for federal programs that provide cooling to be expanded and treated as a medical necessity.