Continued exposure to heat waves accelerates the rate of aging

Science Editorial, Aug 25 (EFE).- Sustained exposure to heat waves over the years accelerates the rate of aging, especially among those with manual jobs, who live in the countryside, or who lack access to air conditioning, according to a study published Monday in the journal Nature Climate Change.

The research findings are the result of health monitoring of 24,922 Taiwanese adults, with an average biological age of 46.3 years, to assess how the sustained effects of heat waves can influence aging.

The authors define accelerated aging as “the difference between biological age and chronological age.”

To calculate biological age, they used various medical tests, including liver function, inflammation, cholesterol, kidney function, blood pressure, and lung function.

Their objective was to measure this rate of acceleration of aging, through the aforementioned tests, in relation to the heat exposure suffered by Taiwan in the 14-year period studied, from 2008 to 2002.

Heat waves are defined as periods in which extremely high temperatures persist for more than two consecutive days.

Statistical increase in aging

After analyzing data from physical examinations conducted between 2008 and 2022, the authors found that with each interquartile range increase in cumulative heat wave exposure (the difference between the third and first quartile levels), there was an associated increase in accelerated aging of between 0.023 and 0.031 years.

The results indicate that although participants appeared to adapt to heat wave conditions over the nearly 15-year period, the harmful effects on aging did not disappear.

The WHO warns that extreme heat is becoming one of the greatest occupational hazards.

Researchers have found that those most exposed to heat due to their jobs, those who live in the countryside, and those without air conditioning are most susceptible to accelerated aging due to heat.

Given that the intensity and frequency of heat waves are expected to increase due to climate change, the authors emphasize the need for "policies that reduce environmental inequalities and improve resilience to these extreme events, especially for the most vulnerable groups."

A pioneering study

In a reaction to the study published in the same journal, Paul Beggs, a researcher at the University of South Wales (Australia), acknowledged that the study is "groundbreaking" in statistically showing how the rate of exposure to heat waves affects the rate of aging.

However, she points out that data is lacking on the time study participants spent outdoors and how equipped their homes were with cooling equipment.

"The physiological mechanisms by which heat waves can accelerate aging are also not yet fully understood. Furthermore, since the study was limited to residents of Taiwan, the results cannot necessarily be generalized to other populations, and especially to other climates," he adds.