Researchers make alarming discovery about overlooked factor causing our bodies to age faster: 'The impact can occur at any age'

Repeated exposure to heat waves is making our bodies age faster, according to a new study.

What's happening?

Researchers followed 25,000 people in Taiwan over 15 years, comparing their exposure to heat waves with their biological age, according to the Guardian, which summarized the paper that was published in Nature Climate Change.

Among the key findings was that biological age increased by about nine days for people who had experienced four more days of a heat wave over a two-year period. The team also found that manual workers, who tend to spend more time outside, saw their biological ages increase by 33 days in that time frame.

The scientists noted that these outcomes only represented changes over a two-year period, and they are also investigating the impacts of heat waves over a lifetime, which would presumably be much greater.

Why is this study important?

This study adds another dimension to our current understanding of heat waves and mortality. We already know that heat can cause deaths in the short term. A July heat wave in Seoul, South Korea, for instance, killed at least 16 people. And a U.S.-based study found a spike in heat-related deaths over the last two decades. However, the new Seoul-based research is the first to assess the longer-term impacts of heat waves, according to the Guardian.

Paul Beggs, a professor at Macquarie University in Australia, who was not involved in the new study, expanded on the relevance of the findings for the news site.

"In 2024, [scientists] discovered that early life heat exposure negatively impacts brain white matter development in children," he said. "Coupled with the new finding that heat wave exposure accelerates aging in adults, we have a paradigm shift in our comprehension of the extent and gravity of heat's impact on our health. The impact can occur at any age and can be lifelong."

These findings come as many places face more frequent, longer, and severe heat waves due to the overheating of our planet. For instance, a stretch of record-breaking temperatures across central and southern Texas this spring pushed the state's grid to the brink, and the National Weather Service called it "unseasonably hot weather."

What's being done about heat waves?

As temperatures rise across the globe, many cities are looking for ways to keep people cooler. One such effort in Paris plans to replace 60,000 parking spaces with greenery, which will add shade and cool neighborhoods. And one Los Angeles neighborhood is using reflective paint on streets to lower temperatures.

Health experts also advise people to take it easy if they must be outside in the heat by taking breaks and trying to cool down in between periods of exposure.

What's your least favorite thing about summer heat waves? Higher AC bills 💸 Getting sweaty outside 😰 It's harder to walk or exercise 🥵 Something else 🤷 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

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