Latest news with #EunyoungChoi
South China Morning Post
14-07-2025
- Health
- South China Morning Post
Spending a lot of time in the heat this summer? Your body might age faster
There's no doubt about it: It's getting hotter out there. Now, according to a new study, scientists have discovered that extreme heat may affect how we age. For older adults, it means the summertime may come with some unexpected challenges. It's getting hot, hot, hot Last year was the hottest on record for the entire planet, topping 2023's already record-setting average temperature. This season isn't looking much better. The first months of 2025 have already included some record breakers, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Centers for Environmental Information. Western Europe sweltered through hottest June on record How heat can age you Published in Science Advances, a 2025 study from the University of Southern California discovered that being exposed to a heat index over 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius) can accelerate biological aging. Heat index is what the temperature feels like when air temperature is combined with relative humidity. Study participants who lived in places where heat days – defined as days with a heat index of 90 degrees or hotter – occur half the year 'experienced up to 14 months of additional biological aging compared to those living in areas with fewer than 10 heat days per year,' co-author Eunyoung Choi said in a news release. While chronological age measures the number of years a person has been alive, biological age refers to how a person's body is aging – which can be measured by many different factors, according to the Mayo Clinic in the US. 'Even after controlling for several factors, we found this association,' Choi said. 'Just because you live in an area with more heat days, you're aging faster biologically.' Escape Hong Kong's sweltering heat with indoor activities inspired by classic movies Higher biological aging is associated with higher risks of disease and mortality. In the study, some older adults were biologically aged by extreme heat within seven days of exposure. 'It's really about the combination of heat and humidity, particularly for older adults, because older adults don't sweat the same way,' senior study author Jennifer Ailshire said in a news release. 'We start to lose our ability to have the skin-cooling effect that comes from that evaporation of sweat. If you're in a high humidity place, you don't get as much of that cooling effect. You have to look at your area's temperature and your humidity to really understand what your risk might be.' According to Ailshire, the results show it's time to start finding better ways to cool off global warming. If we don't, older adults may suffer from the heat the most. 'If everywhere is getting warmer and the population is aging, and these people are vulnerable, then we need to get really a lot smarter about these mitigation strategies,' she said.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
New study makes stunning revelation about unexpected factor causing people to age faster: 'Similar to the effect of smoking and drinking'
If rising global temperatures have you feeling worn down, you aren't alone. A new study published in Science Advances and reported on by NPR found that extreme heat can speed up biological aging in a way that researchers say is "similar to the effect of smoking and drinking." That's the warning from Eunyoung Choi, a gerontologist at the University of Southern California and the lead author of the study. Researchers analyzed blood samples from more than 3,600 U.S. adults over age 56 and compared their genetic markers to past weather data for their home regions. They looked for signs of "epigenetic aging," a process that changes how our genes behave and is linked to an earlier onset of health conditions such as dementia, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. They found that people who lived in areas with prolonged heat — such as Phoenix, where the heat index topped 90 degrees for more than half the year — appeared biologically 14 months older than people living in cooler regions. And that was after considering other factors such as income, education, exercise, and smoking, showing that heat exposure alone has an effect on how fast our bodies age. Scientists have known that heat can negatively affect our health in many ways, from heart issues to increased hospital visits and deaths during heat waves. But in the long term, premature aging also strains families and health systems. "It's just a tremendous strain … that increases your medication budget [and] really can have tremendous impacts," said gerontologist Deborah Carr of Boston University, who was not involved in the study. As global temperatures rise, fueled by our use of dirty energy sources such as oil and gas, extreme heat days are expected to increase across the U.S. by 20 to 30 days annually by the middle of the century. And that's happening at the same time America's population is aging, a concerning overlap since older adults are more vulnerable to heat-related complications. Prolonged exposure to heat makes "you sort of accelerate your way towards an old heart, and an old vulnerable heart," Tom Clanton, a physiologist and heat expert at the University of Florida's College of Health and Human Performance, explained. Researchers say this helps explain the connection between heat and illness. It also points to the need for personalized assessments of heat exposure, especially in homes and communities without reliable cooling. The next step for researchers is to better understand how individual environments — such as overheated homes or neighborhoods with less green space — contribute to heat exposure and health risks. That information could help shape future solutions, from city planning to home cooling upgrades. To protect your household from extreme heat while saving money on electric bills, consider climate-smart upgrades such as installing a heat pump (which also cools your space) or taking steps to weatherize your home. Do you worry about air pollution in and around your home? Yes — always Yes — often Yes — sometimes No — never Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Forbes
08-04-2025
- Health
- Forbes
New Study Says High Heat Where We Live Accelerates Aging
Living in an area with more heat days ages you faster Longevity has become a popular buzzword in anti-aging conversations, including those related to real estate. Simply put, this approach asks how the places where we live can help us stay young, energetic and vibrant. The key, according to a recent study conducted by the University of Southern California's Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, may lie in real estate's long-standing mantra: Location, location, location! 'People in neighborhoods that experience more days of high heat show faster aging at the molecular level than residents of cooler regions,' reported gerontology and sociology professor Jennifer Ailshire, the study's lead author. So, what should you look for when selecting a new neighborhood for your 'forever' home, particularly if you're looking in the Sunbelt? Living in an area with more heat days ages you faster on a biological level, the study reveals. These changes could happen relatively quickly – maybe your first summer in your new neighborhood – and could accumulate over time. 'This correlation persisted even after controlling for socioeconomic and other demographic differences, as well as lifestyle factors such as physical activity, alcohol consumption and smoking,' the study's co-author, postdoctoral student Eunyoung Choi, noted. The study team looked at 3,600 participants aged 56 and older from across the country over a six-year period. Using blood samples, they looked for changes in how individual genes impact biological age at each time point, comparing them to their location's heat index reports 0f 'Caution' levels (80°F to 90°F), 'Extreme Caution' levels (90°F and 103°F), and 'Danger' levels (103°F and 124°F). Sunbelt states have long attracted older adults, both for their warmer weather, more affordable housing prices and, frequently, tax advantages and family proximity. According to the Census, this trend continues, with Texas and Florida experiencing the largest numeric gains from 2023 to 2024. Arizona, Georgia, both Carolinas and Georgia are also in the top 10 for numeric growth in that timeframe. While high heat can (and does) hit many areas in the country, you're likeliest to experience more of it in the regions chosen for their historically warmer weather. So, what should you do if San Antonio, Sedona or Sarasota are your relocation ideals? Look for neighborhoods with plentiful trees and vegetation, experts suggest. These have a cooling effect and can reduce the impact of heat. A real estate professional with deep neighborhood knowledge can guide you to these areas. Also look at community and home amenities with an eye toward coverings, fans, misting and water access. If they're not present currently, what would adding one or more of them to your property cost? These features should also be factored into any new construction or remodeling projects you have planned. As outdoor living has boomed across all home levels, from production to custom, covered spaces have dramatically increased too. Motorized louvered roof systems are one of the most popular approaches, giving flexibility to address heat with opened and closed options. Awnings and fixed coverings can help too if a louvered system isn't feasible. So do window coverings that can be automated to close during the hottest times of day to keep the home's interior cooler. In July 2022, I shared a 'Beat the Heat' article with readers offering more solutions that are still relevant. If you're building a new home, adding on or replacing a roof, the Environmental Protection Agency suggests using a cool or green roof. Cool roof materials are highly reflective and emissive. Green roof systems use vegetation. Writing on its website, the agency says: 'Both cool and green roofs provide benefits of lower surface and air temperatures, and decreased energy demand.' It notes that a green roof costs more upfront but typically lasts longer. With specific regard to green roof benefits, the EPA cites improved human health and comfort, 'Green roofs, by reducing heat transfer through the building roof, can improve indoor comfort, and lower the incidence of heat stress associated with heat waves.' You can – and should – create a cooling landscape for your home to beat the heat. You're definitely going to want to use native plants that are adapted to the local environment and reduce water use and maintenance. Moana Nursery with three locations in Nevada, suggests planting shade trees around your home, using shrubs and ground covers to reduce heat reflection from hard surfaces like pavers and minimizing hardscape, layering your plants to trap cool air and provide shade at different height levels, creating planted windbreaks to direct cooling breezes toward your home, adding water features, and offering a range of other helpful ideas on a beat the heat section of its website. It turns out that those charming older neighborhoods with canopies of shade trees that have long attracted home buyers have longevity benefits as well. They may not exist where you're home shopping, or where you currently live, but creating cooler shade areas outdoors on your property and keeping your home's interior cooler can increase both your comfort and lifespan.
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Long periods of extreme heat can accelerate biological age, scientists say
Longer periods of extreme heat has been found to accelerate biological age in older adults by up to two years, according to new research. More heat days over time correlated with deterioration at the molecular and cellular level in adults 56 years or older, likely because the biological deterioration accumulates over time and eventually leads to disease and disability, Eunyoung Choi, a postdoctoral associate at the University of California's Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, told ABC News. MORE: How extreme heat will disproportionately affect disadvantaged communities Researchers at the University of Southern California studied blood samples from 3,686 adults starting at an average chronological age of 68 years with varying socioeconomic backgrounds across the U.S. and compared epigenetic aging trends to the number of extreme heat days in the participants' places of residence, according to a study published Wednesday in Science Advances. "Epigenetic age is one way we measure biological aging, which tells us how well our body is functioning at the physical, molecular and the cellular levels," Choi said. "...We know that some people seem to age faster than others, and that's because biological aging doesn't always match chronological age." Regression modeling showed that more heat days, or longer-term heat, over one and six years increased biological age by 2.48 years. Short and mid-term heat also increased biological age by 1.07 years, according to the paper. Extreme heat was defined as the daily maximum heat index -- derived from both temperature and humidity -- with a "caution" range of between 80 degrees to 90 degrees Fahrenheit and an "extreme caution" range of between 90 degrees and 103 degrees Fahrenheit, in accordance with the National Weather Service, according to the paper. "Extreme danger" was defined as any heat index level over 124 degrees Fahrenheit. MORE: North America experienced an unprecedented 'hot drought' in the last century, new research shows The researchers compared the epigenetic age of participants from regions with long periods of extreme heat to those living in cooler climates. There was a 14-month difference in epigenetic age between residents living in places like Phoenix, Arizona, than milder places like Seattle, even after accounting other individual and community-level differences, like income, education, physical activity and smoking, Choi said. "Two people that had identical sociodemographic characteristics and similar lifestyles, just because one is living in a hotter environment, they experience additional biological aging," she said. The 14-month differences is comparable to effects seen with smoking and heavy alcohol consumption -- two well-established risk factors of accelerated biological aging, the researchers found. DNA methylation -- the process of chemical modification to DNA that tends to change as people age -- is "highly responsive" to environmental exposures like social stress, pollution and, in this case, extreme heat, Choi said. MORE: Large cities are at the forefront of climate change, experts say Previous research has linked extreme heat to serious health risks like cardiovascular disease, kidney dysfunction, hospitalization and even death, Choi said. But prior to this research, scientists did not fully understand what is occurring at the biological level before those health issues appear, Choi added. "The physical toll of the heat might not show up right away as a diagnosable health condition, but it could be taking a silent toll at the cellular and the molecular level," Choi said. It's important to uncover potential hidden effects of heat on the body because it can serve as an "important precursor" before they turn into more serious health conditions, Choi said. "We can intervene at the earlier stage," she added. MORE: Some of the ways extreme heat will change life as we know it Humidity also plays a big role in how the body responds to heat, especially for older adults, Choi said. "As we age, our bodies don't cool down as rapidly," she said. The new research provides a foundation for the development of targeted public health interventions, the researchers said. "This provides strong evidence critical for guiding public policy and advocacy initiatives aimed at developing mitigation strategies against climate change," Choi said. ABC News Medical Unit's Dr. Jessica Yang contributed to this report. Long periods of extreme heat can accelerate biological age, scientists say originally appeared on
