Los Angeles Times: After the L.A. County Fires, Heart Attacks Spiked

The Los Angeles Times and Spectrum News 1 recently interviewed Cedars-Sinai experts about significant health impacts following the January 2025 wildfires in Los Angeles.

A Cedars-Sinai study found that within 90 days of the fires, the Cedars-Sinai Emergency Department saw a 46% increase in visits for heart attacks, a 24% increase in visits for respiratory illnesses, and a 118% increase in visits for general illness.

Joseph Ebinger, MD, MS, associate professor in the Department of Cardiology and first author of the study, published in JACC, told the Los Angeles Times that the fires were unusual because man-made materials, such as cars and batteries, burned alongside vegetation.

“The Eaton fire and the Palisades fire were unique, both in their size, their scale and the sheer volume of material that burned,” he said.

Susan Cheng, MD, MPH, vice chair of Research Affairs in the Department of Cardiology in the Smidt Heart Institute and senior author of the study, said smoke exposure “led to some kind of biochemical metabolic stress in the body that likely affected not just one but many organ systems,” resulting in a wide range of symptoms.

To help address those health concerns, Huntington Health, a Cedars-Sinai affiliate, has expanded pulmonary care for patients affected by smoke from the Eaton fire, which burned just miles away from the Pasadena hospital.

Raj Dasgupta, MD, associate professor of Clinical Medicine at Huntington Health, told Spectrum News 1 that people with respiratory symptoms should seek an evaluation. He also recommended taking precautions to limit ongoing exposure to contaminants.

“Getting the right filter, not for your whole house, but maybe the room you spend the most time in is going to be very important," Dasgupta said.

Read the complete article from the Los Angeles Times and watch the complete video from Spectrum News 1.