The intense heat may make you faster
Everyone felt exhausted and drought that comes with a lot of time in heat. But research indicates that the effect of exposure to severe heat goes beyond heat waves: consistent exposure to high temperatures may also make you age.
New study, Published August 26 in the magazine nature Climate change, I found that frequent heat waves were associated with rapid aging and increased poor health problems. The more extreme heat events that the individual is exposed to, the greater the age of their bodies.
The researchers analyzed the medical data from nearly 25,000 people in Taiwan over 15 years: between 2008 and 2022, when the region witnessed 30 thermal waves (which the researchers determine as “a period of high temperature over several days”). They managed to calculate the biological age of a person using results from many medical tests, including liver, lung and kidney assessments; blood pressure; And infections. Then they used the titles of participants in the two years before their medical visit to compare biological ages with temperatures that are likely to be exposed.
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They found that the more severe events of the heat that a person holds, the greater his life, with every 1.3 degrees Celsius of the total cumulative heat, which adds about eight to twelve days to his biological age. Handic workers and those who live in rural areas have suffered the largest health effect.
“While the same number may seem small, over time and through population groups, this effect can have a significant general health effects.” nature.
Climate change makes severe heat events more common all over the world. 2024 was the most record year, where the record in 2023 was set. Climate Climate The study found that 88 % of 247 major American cities have witnessed an increase in the number of very hot days since 1970.
Climate models show that global temperatures will only continue to rise, with the World Meteorological Organization Appreciation 70 % chance is that the average warming for five years for 2025 to 2029 will be more than 1.5 ° C. Experts say that creating intense heat solution solutions will not become more important with increased temperatures.