Too warm and too cold aren't good for your health
By Hebrew SeniorLife Hinda and Arthur Marcus
Institute for Aging Research
Researchers at the Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research, part of Hebrew SeniorLife and affiliated with Harvard Medical School, discovered that older adults experienced the fewest attention difficulties when their home temperatures stayed between 68–75°F (20–24°C).
When temperatures moved just 7°F (4°C) above or below this range, the risk of
attention problems doubled.
Study Details and Findings
The longitudinal observational study monitored home
temperatures and self-reported attention difficulties in 47 adults aged 65 and
older over the course of a year. The findings, published in the Journal
of Gerontology: Medical Sciences, suggest that even current climate
conditions are placing older adults at risk, with many experiencing indoor
temperatures that may impair their cognitive abilities. The implications are
particularly concerning for low-income and underserved populations, who may
have fewer resources to regulate their home environments.
“Our findings underscore the importance of understanding how
environmental factors, like indoor temperature, impact cognitive health in
aging populations,” said Amir Baniassadi, PhD, lead author of the study, an
Assistant Scientist II at the Marcus Institute and a leading expert in the
study of the effects of climate change on seniors. “This research highlights
the need for public health interventions and housing policies that prioritize
climate resilience for older adults. As global temperatures rise, ensuring
access to temperature-controlled environments will be crucial for protecting
their cognitive well-being.”
Broader Context and Proposed Solutions
Following a 2023 study measuring how temperature affected
how older adults slept and their cognitive ability, the study currently adds to
growing evidence that the effects of climate change extend beyond physical
health to encompass cognitive functioning, emphasizing the need for proactive
measures.
Potential solutions include integrating smart home
technologies to optimize indoor temperatures, improving energy efficiency in
housing, and expanding access to cooling resources.
Reference: “Home Ambient Temperature and Self-reported
Attention in Community-Dwelling Older Adults” by Amir Baniassadi, Wanting Yu,
Thomas Travison, Ryan Day, Lewis Lipsitz and Brad Manor, 3 December 2024, The
Journals of Gerontology: Series A.
DOI:
10.1093/gerona/glae286
Other researchers on the study, who all work at the Marcus
Institute, included Wanting Yu, BSc, Project Director I; Thomas Travison, PhD,
Senior Scientist; Ryan Day; Lewis Lipsitz, MD, Director, Marcus Institute and
Chief Academic Officer, Irving and Edyth S. Usen and Family Chair in Medical
Research, Hebrew SeniorLife; and Brad Manor, PhD, associate scientist.
The study was supported by a T32 fellowship through the U.S.
National Institute on Aging (T32AG023480) and from the TMCITY foundation.
