HomeHealth, Life-Style
People age faster in heatwaves says new study
Mar
Recently, the temperature in our country has suddenly increased. The temperature has reached 40 degrees Celsius. Such a trend has been observed throughout the week. This is mainly due to heatwaves or heatstroke. A period of unusually high temperatures is called a heatwave. If the local temperature is higher than normal for a few days, it is called a heatwave. A heatwave is created when the air temperature increases excessively or in some cases, humidity increases.
Life becomes very difficult in a heatwave. You cannot go outside. People get sick in the heat. Sometimes deaths also occur. This trend has now spread around the world. Due to climate change, several heatwaves have recently hit different parts of the world. People in many major cities in Europe have been affected. Scientists studying heatwaves say that high temperatures can have a long-term impact on human health. This heatwave can cause harm to billions of people around the world.
According to a new study, people living in heatwaves are aging faster. Researchers say that its effects are comparable to the damage to health caused by smoking, alcohol consumption, unhealthy eating habits or lack of exercise. Scientists are warning that heatwaves are becoming more frequent due to the climate crisis, which could have far-reaching and long-term health impacts on billions of people.
This study has changed our understanding of the impact and severity of heatwaves. We previously knew that heatwaves caused an increase in premature deaths. For example, a heatwave in England last June killed nearly 600 people. But this new analysis looks at the long-term effects of heatwaves.
The study results
The researchers studied 25,000 people in Taiwan for 15 years. Exposure to heat waves was compared with the biological age of Taiwanese people. Biological age is a general measure of health. The researchers found that those who were exposed to an extra four days of heatwaves over two years increased their biological age by about nine days. Manual workers who spend a lot of time outdoors were particularly affected. These workers increased their biological age by 33 days.
Scientists say that this increase in biological age may seem small, but it is only a two-year period. Now, research is underway on the effects of heatwaves on the entire lifespan. They say that the total impact on the population around the world is much greater. Because everyone suffers during heatwaves. It increases the risk of death. A high biological age is a strong indicator of increased mortality risk. “If someone is exposed to heatwaves for a long time over decades, the health effects will be much greater than we have reported. Heatwaves are becoming more frequent and longer lasting,” said Cui Guo, a researcher at the University of Hong Kong. So its health effects may be more widespread in the future.’
Long-term risks
According to scientists, many people die in heat waves. Those who survive may think, “This time, I survived this heat wave.” In fact, research says that exposure to heat waves affects the speed of our aging. We age faster.
In 2024, scientists discovered that children exposed to heat during childhood have a negative effect on the development of the white matter of the brain. Combining this new research with previous research, it is possible to make some terrible assumptions. The effects of heat on health are complex and serious. This effect can occur at any age. You may have to suffer from it throughout your life.
This new study was published in the journal Nature Climate Change. It used the results of various health tests, including blood pressure, inflammation, cholesterol, lung, liver and kidney function, to determine a person’s biological age. The researchers compared these results with each person’s actual age. They also looked at whether exposure to heat waves was associated with accelerated aging. They found that the total number of heat wave days had the greatest impact on accelerated aging.
