Extreme heat can have devastating effects on the human body. When temperatures soar, the body's ability to regulate its internal temperature is compromised, leading to heat-related issues and diseases. The elderly, young children and people with pre-existing medical conditions are particularly vulnerable.
Studies have found links between heat and ageing. Cumulative heat stress changes epigenetics, how our cells turn on or off gene switches in response to environmental pressure.
A new US study revealed that the more days of intense heat a participant endured, the faster they aged. Longer periods of extreme heat accelerated ageing in older people by more than two years.
The response of the human body, when it is exposed to the stress of more heat is by aging faster, the study pointed out.
Though ageing is natural, the rate of ageing varies from human to human. The reaction of the body to the shocks and stresses also varies. For example, if we don't get enough sleep over a long period of time, we will age faster.
Sustained heat shocks or stresses can make one less efficient at doing many jobs. This can accelerate biological ageing. It can also pave the way for diseases.
According to researchers at the University of Southern California, severe heat stress can be remembered in cells, leading them to change their DNAm (DNA methylation--referring to a chemical our cells can use to block a DNA sequence) patterns over time.
Heats affect older people compared to the young.
The study involved around 3,700 people with an average age of 68 years.
