Living through extreme heat waves may accelerate how people age, a concerning study has suggested.
Research has long shown that heatwaves cause short-term spikes in early deaths—almost 600 premature deaths alone were linked to hot weather in England in June.
But scientists in Taiwan, who analyzed 15 years worth of data from nearly 25,000 adults, have now found that two years of exposure to heat waves could speed up a person’s so-called biological aging by up to 12 extra days.
Manual workers, who typically spend more time outdoors, were particularly affected, with their biological age increasing by 33 days under similar conditions.
This hot weather impact is comparable with the damage caused by smoking, alcohol use, poor diet or limited exercise, the researchers said.
Dr Cui Guo, an assistant professor in urban planning and environmental health at the University of Hong Kong, who led the research, said: ‘If heatwave exposure accumulates for several decades, the health impact will be much greater than we have reported.
‘Heatwaves are also becoming more frequent and lasting longer so the health impacts could be much greater [in the future].
‘This small number actually matters. This was a study of a two-year exposure, but we know heat waves have actually been occurring for decades.’
Scientists in Taiwan , who analyzed 15 years worth of data from nearly 25,000 adults, have now found that two years of exposure to heat waves could speed up a person’s so-called biological aging by up to 12 extra days
The oldest living person in the world is now believed to be Ethel Caterham, from Surrey, who was born on August 21, 1909 and is 116 years old
Prof Paul Beggs, an environmental health scientist at the Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia, who was not involved in the research, also said: ‘Many of us have experienced heatwaves and survived unscathed—or so we thought.
‘[This research] now shows that exposure to heatwaves affects the rate at which we age.’
In the fresh study, published in the journal Nature Climate Change, researchers assessed participants blood pressure, inflammation levels, cholesterol, and lung, liver and kidney function, to determine their biological age.
They then compared this with their actual age to assess how exposure to heatwaves impacted ageing.
The researchers compared this with the actual age of each person to see if their exposure to heatwaves was linked to faster ageing.
They found the total number of heatwave days experienced had the biggest impact on accelerated ageing.
However, exactly why prolonged temperatures cause bodies to age faster is not yet known and requires further research, they said.
It is thought damage to the DNA may be part of the reason.
Extreme heat can also present other, less direct risks to health. High temperatures have been found to worsen air quality and raise the risk of wildfires and droughts.
In 2024, the hottest year on record, climate change was responsible for 41 days of extreme heat worldwide, according to an analysis by World Weather Attribution.
Last year, research suggested life expectancy across the world will rise by almost five years by 2050, with the average man forecasted to live to 76 and woman, past 80.
The oldest living person in the world is now believed to be Ethel Caterham, from Surrey, who was born on August 21, 1909 and is 116 years old.
The title of the oldest person to have ever lived belongs to French woman Jeanne Louise Calment whose life spanned 122 years and 164 days.
