Extreme heat more dangerous for people 60 and over than previously thought
A new study published in The Lancet Public Health indicates that people aged 60 and over are more vulnerable to extreme heat than previously understood. The research suggests that older adults face significant health risks, including heat stress, at lower temperature thresholds than younger populations.
Why it matters
As the global population ages and climate change increases the frequency of heatwaves, this finding highlights a critical public health challenge for urban planning and healthcare systems.
Extreme heat exposure is a growing threat to human health and older people are particularly vulnerable, the study showed. Extreme heat exposure is a growing threat to human health and older people are particularly vulnerable, the study showed. Older people Extreme heat more dangerous for people 60 and over than previously thought Study finds older adults could face harmful heat stress at just 1.5C of warming above preindustrial levels
Prefer the Guardian on Google People aged 60 and over face dangers to their health from exposure to heat at much lower temperatures than previously thought, research has found.
Older adults will bear the brunt of increasingly frequent sustained spells of extreme heat globally as the world continues to warm up, according to a study in The Lancet Public Health .
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