Priyanka Tiwari
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Not only is the heat intolerable, but it also hastens the rate at which we age. A shocking dipstick genomic analysis revealed that excessive heat exposure can alter genetic material, particularly for middle-aged adults. This study done in the University of Southern California proved that too much heat stress does not only contribute to the rise of heart diseases and mortalities, but can also escalate one’s biological age.
According to Jennifer Ailshire – the professor of sociology that led the study – individuals who reside in areas that receive more sun than usual tend to age faster biologically than those who live in cooler regions. She stated that, ‘it is well known that high levels of combined heat with humidity is associated with middle aged folks.’
Why is this so?
Middle-aged individuals are less capable of sweating, which effects the body's external cooling system. When this happens, the pressure on the body’s internal systems begins to rise. It means that individuals precisely from the age of 45-60 can undergo accelerated aging with heatwaves.
How was this research carried out?
Between 2010 and 2016, over 3600 adults aged 56 and above provided blood samples, which were analyzed for 6 years by researchers from the Science Advances journal. They found that people living with extreme heat have a biological age that is greater than their real age. This was alarming considering that biological age is deemed to be the age of someone’s body at a molecular and organ level. This type of age calculation is reflective of how well someone’s body functions. When biological age exceeds the chronological age, it puts the person at risk of kidney failure, heart problems, and several other dire health issues.
