Twenty-five thousand people in Taiwan were followed for 15 years, comparing heatwave exposure with biological age, a measure of overall health. Four additional heatwave days over a two-year period corresponded to an average biological age increase of about nine days. Manual workers experienced greater effects, with a 33-day biological age increase for the same exposure. The measured increases occurred over only two years, implying larger cumulative impacts if exposure accumulates over decades. Heatwaves are becoming more frequent and longer-lasting, potentially producing widespread, long-term health damage and higher mortality risk through elevated biological ageing.
Repeated exposure to heatwaves is accelerating ageing in people, according to a study. The impact is broadly comparable with the damage smoking, alcohol use, poor diet or limited exercise can have on health, the researchers said. Extreme temperatures are increasingly common owing to the climate crisis, potentially causing widespread and long-lasting damage to the health of billions, the scientists warned.
The researchers followed 25,000 people in Taiwan for 15 years and compared their exposure to heatwaves with their biological age, a measure of overall health. They found, for example, that biological age increased by about nine days for people who experienced four more heatwave days over a two-year period. Manual workers, who tend to spend more time outside, were strongly affected, with their biological age increasing by 33 days.
While the increase in biological age may seem quite small, the scientists noted that this was only over a two-year period. They are investigating the impact of heatwaves on ageing over people's entire lifetimes. The researchers also said that the total impact on populations around the world would be large, because everyone suffers during heatwaves, and higher biological age is a strong predictor of increased risk of death.
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