A new study has revealed that long exposure to intense heat make you old faster. According to the research, longer periods of extreme heat accelerated ageing in older people by more than two years.
It is well-documented that extreme heat can increase the risk of heat stroke, cardiovascular disease, kidney dysfunction and even death. The researchers from the University of Southern California analysed the impact of extended exposure to intense heat speeds up biological age.
The findings of the study were published in the peer-reviewed journal Science Advances recently.
During the study, the scientists examined nearly 3,700 participants, with an average age of 68.
“Participants living in areas where heat days, as defined as Extreme Caution or higher levels (≥90°F), occur half the year, such as Phoenix, Arizona, experienced up to 14 months of additional biological aging compared to those living in areas with fewer than 10 heat days per year,” co-author of the study, Eunyoung Choi, USC Leonard Davis PhD in Gerontology, said. “Even after controlling for several factors, we found this association. Just because you live in an area with more heat days, you’re aging faster biologically.”
The study revealed that long-term exposure to intense heat alters the functioning of genes, causing immediate health problems. “It’s really about the combination of heat and humidity, particularly for older adults, because they don’t sweat the same way. We start to lose our ability to have the skin-cooling effect that comes from that evaporation of sweat,” senior author Jennifer Ailshire, a professor of gerontology and sociology at the University of Southern California, said.
The impact would be high especially in countries like India that witnesses excruciating heatwaves, increasing health risks and ageing-related issues.