A study conducted by the University of Southern California (USC) and published in the journal Science Advances revealed that people living in neighborhoods with prolonged periods of intense heat experience faster molecular aging than those living in cooler areas. This finding raises questions about how climate change and heat waves may impact long-term health and the molecular aging process.
The research was led by scientists from USC's Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, who focused on analyzing how biological aging evolves in individuals over 56 years old in the United States. Over six years, blood samples were taken to study epigenetic changes, meaning the alterations in the activation or deactivation of genes through DNA methylation.
The results showed a significant correlation between neighborhoods with more days of extreme heat and accelerated biological aging in residents. Specifically, it was found that people living in areas with a high frequency of intense heat days, defined as those above 32°C, in the middle of the year, such as in Phoenix (Arizona), showed up to 14 additional months of biological aging compared to those residing in places with fewer than 10 days of heat per year.
Researchers suggested that heat-related epigenetic changes could occur rapidly and accumulate over time. In light of these results, experts emphasize the importance of considering heat mitigation strategies in the design and upgrading of urban infrastructures, such as incorporating shaded areas, planting trees, and increasing green spaces in cities.
According to the authors of the study, it is essential that policymakers, architects, and other professionals take these mitigation measures into account to counteract the effects of extreme heat on health and the aging process. In this regard, USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology and Sociology professor Jennifer Ailshire remarked, "We need to be much smarter with these mitigation strategies."
