# Aging may speed up in areas with extreme heat, research suggests

## Health

### Aging may speed up in areas with extreme heat, research suggests

Frequent days over 90 degrees could accelerate biological aging by 14 months

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Published March 5, 2025 8:54am EST

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### Content Summary

Although many retirees move to warmer climates for retirement, a new study from USC Leonard shows that extreme heat may speed up the  in older people, SWNS reported.

People living in areas with more days of hot weather appear to age faster at a molecular level than residents of cooler regions, according to the study, which was published in the journal Science Advances.

### Research Findings

The effect was shown to accelerate "biological aging," the researchers found, raising new concerns about how it could affect .

Having a biological age greater than your chronological age is associated with a higher risk of disease and death.

Likewise, extreme heat (categorized as 90 degrees Fahrenheit and above) has long been associated with , including increased risk of death, the SWNS report stated.



### Other Key Findings

The analysis revealed a "significant correlation" between areas with more days of  and individuals experiencing greater increases in biological age, even after adjusting for other factors.



Dr. Chris Scuderi, a family physician based in Jacksonville, Florida, spoke to Fox News Digital about what he has noticed regarding heat and aging in his field.

"I’ve observed a notable rise in hospitalizations and heat-related incidents among , particularly during last summer’s record-breaking temperatures in Northeast ," said Scuderi, who was not involved in the study.

, such as antidepressants and heart medications like beta blockers, can further impair the body's ability to regulate temperature, which increases the likelihood of heat-related illness, according to the doctor.

Some chronic health conditions can also change the body's normal reaction to heat, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website states.



### Tips to Beat the Heat

Next steps for the research team will be to determine what other factors could make someone more vulnerable to heat-related biological aging and how it might connect to health.

In the meantime, Ailshire noted that the findings could prompt policymakers, architects, and others to keep heat mitigation and age-friendly features in mind as they update urban infrastructure, such as building bus stops with shaded areas, planting more trees, and increasing urban green spaces.

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Another tip from the CDC is to drink water before feeling the sensation of thirst.

"If your doctor limits the  you drink or has you on water pills, ask them how much you should drink during hot weather," the website recommends.

Next steps for the research team will be to determine what other factors could make someone more vulnerable to heat-related biological aging and how it might connect to health.

**CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER**

In the meantime, Ailshire noted that the findings could prompt policymakers, architects, and others to keep heat mitigation and age-friendly features in mind as they update urban infrastructure, such as building bus stops with shaded areas, planting more trees, and increasing urban green spaces.

### Related Topics

- 
- 
- 
- 
- 
- 
- 

**For more Health articles, visit** 

### More Health Articles

Another tip from the CDC is to drink water before feeling the sensation of thirst.

"If your doctor limits the  you drink or has you on water pills, ask them how much you should drink during hot weather," the website recommends.

Next steps for the research team will be to determine what other factors could make someone more vulnerable to heat-related biological aging and how it might connect to health.

**CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER**

In the meantime, Ailshire noted that the findings could prompt policymakers, architects, and others to keep heat mitigation and age-friendly features in mind as they update urban infrastructure, such as building bus stops with shaded areas, planting more trees, and increasing urban green spaces.
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