Sign In
International
Media release
From:
Climate: Investigating the long-term impact of heatwaves on ageing (N&V)
Years of repeated exposure to heatwaves may accelerate ageing, particularly among manual workers, rural residents and people from communities with fewer air conditioners, according to a study published in Nature Climate Change.
Heatwaves are increasing in frequency as a consequence of climate change and can have major impacts on public health. While previous studies have demonstrated the negative effects of heatwaves on age-related health conditions, particularly among older people, they have primarily focused on short-term exposure to sustained heat. Understanding how sustained exposure to heat over the course of several years could help explain the potential long-term impact of heatwaves on human ageing.
Cui Guo and colleagues analysed data from 24,922 adults, with an average biological age of 46.3 years, in Taiwan to assess how heatwaves may influence ageing. The authors define age acceleration as the difference between biological and chronological age and assessed its associations with heatwave exposure. After analysing data from physical examinations between 2008 and 2022, the authors found that with each interquartile range increase in the cumulative heatwave exposure — the difference between the third and the first quartile levels — there was an associated increase in age acceleration of 0.023–0.031 years. Moreover, the study revealed that while participants appeared to adapt to heatwave conditions over the 15‑year period, the harmful health effects did not disappear. Guo and colleagues also identified that manual workers, rural residents and people from communities with fewer air conditioning units were more susceptible to the impacts of heatwaves on ageing.
The findings underscore the need for policies that reduce environmental inequalities and improve heatwave resilience, especially among vulnerable groups, guiding targeted protections and efficient healthcare resource allocation. The authors note that further analyses are needed in more diverse groups, and this analysis does not include potentially relevant variables such as time spent outdoors, household environment or usage habits of air conditioners.
