Stanford study: heat waves threaten people aged 60+ at lower temperatures than thought
Study in The Lancet Public Health finds that people 60 and older are at heightened risk from heat at lower temperatures than earlier estimates.
A new study led by health researchers at Stanford University in California warns that people aged 60 and over face serious health risks from heat at much lower temperatures than previously assumed.
The research, published in The Lancet Public Health, concludes that the older population will carry the greatest burden as heat waves become more frequent and prolonged worldwide.
Physiology and underestimated danger
The authors describe how extreme temperatures can cause uncompensable heat stress — a condition in which the human body loses the ability to cool itself — creating a danger of severe health complications and even death.
Older people are especially vulnerable because they sweat less, their hearts must work harder at high temperatures, and their blood vessels are less able to dilate. The study's authors argue that previous research applied thermal-balance thresholds developed for younger adults to all age groups, which obscured the higher risk of heart attacks among older people.
The findings suggest public-health responses and heat warning systems should be revised to account for lower temperature thresholds for older adults and to better protect this growing segment of the population.
Photo: SDK.MK
