The hot truth: Extreme temperatures make us age faster!

The hot truth: Extreme temperatures make us age faster!

Extreme heat can have far-reaching consequences that are not always immediately visible. As a recent study from the USA shows, high temperatures even accelerate biological aging in humans. According to research presented at the recent annual meeting of the American Society of Gerontology in Seattle, extreme conditions - such as those found in many hot regions of the United States - have a huge impact on people's molecular age. Co-author Eun Young Choi from the University of Southern California explains that the physical consequences can occur at a cellular and molecular level, which could eventually develop into disabilities. The cognitive abilities and the health of the heart and kidneys are also at risk, as is Today.at reported.

Biological aging caused by heat stress

The scientists analyzed the so-called “epigenetic clock” of around 3,800 people aged 56 and older. This method detects chemical changes in the genome that accumulate over time. They found that every 10 percent increase in hot days accelerated biological aging by 0.12 years. This suggests that people in hot regions actually age up to 0.6 percent faster, which in turn was measured by the heat index, which is at temperatures above 26.7 or 32.2 degrees Celsius. This particularly affects those who have been exposed to heat long-term - short-term heat exposure has no significant effect. These results were also published by nau.ch confirmed.

The Danish environmental epidemiologist Rina So emphasizes that it is noteworthy that this study used biological markers from blood for the first time, instead of just looking at general connections between climate influences and health. The researchers were able to statistically take into account various influencing factors such as social stress and other health factors to get a clearer picture of the effects of extreme heat. This research underscores the urgency of taking the health risks of climate change seriously and taking appropriate action.