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Diseases & Conditions
Warning: Older age makes you vulnerable to the summer heat
- By Heidi Godman, Executive Editor, Harvard Health Letter
Age-related changes increase your risk for two serious conditions.
Long, hot summers are getting longer and hotter, and could continue on this path as a result of global warming, according to research published March 28, 2021, in Geophysical Research Letters. Scientists found that autumns, winters, and springs have gotten shorter over the last 60 years, and summers have increased by almost 20 days. Among the many concerns this brings, one is increased risk for heat-related health problems, especially as we get older.
Heat and age
Your ability to function relies on maintaining a core (internal) body temperature. "In a hot environment, your temperature starts to rise. Your body releases heat by sweating and carrying blood away from the body’s core to the skin surface, where heat leaves the body. But those functions don’t work as well when you’re older. Heat can build up, putting organs at risk for severe damage," says Dr. Kalpana Shankar, director of Geriatric Emergency Medicine at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
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