Heat!

January 18th, 2025| Topic: RaMbLeS | 0

You feeling the heat? You should be. Especially if you are moving into the grandparenting phase of life. (No, this is nothing to do with grandkids, more to do with the phase of life, or, to put it bluntly, as you get old.)

“Home Ambient Temperature and Self-reported Attention in Community-Dwelling Older Adults” published recently in the Journal of Gerontology by scientists from the Marcus Institute for Aging Research affiliated with Harvard Medical School, Boston, claims that indoor temperature affects older adults’ ability to concentrate. Ambient temperatures, in other words, can pose cognitive challenges. These conducted a year-long study monitoring 47 community-dwelling adults aged 65 and older (average age 79). The study tracked both their home temperatures and their self-reported ability to maintain attention throughout the day. What they discovered was a clear U-shaped relationship between room temperature and cognitive function. In other words, attention spans were optimal within a specific temperature range and declined when rooms became either too hot or too cold.

The sweet spot? 68–75°F (20–24°C). A deviation of just 7°F (4°C) in either direction from this optimal range rendered participants twice as likely to report difficulty maintaining attention to tasks.

Previous studies have examined ambient temperature’s effects on cognition in controlled lab settings, but this one looked at older folks in their own homes, monitoring them with smart sensors and with twice-daily smartphone surveys about their thermal comfort and attention levels (over a year, the scientists collected over 17,000 such surveys from the subjects).

While temperatures higher and lower had negative effects on concentration, cold seemed to create far greater cognitive difficulties than heat. Maintaining adequate heating may be especially crucial for preserving cognitive function in older adults during winter months.

Said lead author Dr. Amir Baniassadi:

Our findings underscore the importance of understanding how environmental factors, like indoor temperature, impact cognitive health in aging populations. This research highlights the need for public health interventions and housing policies that prioritize climate resilience for older adults. As global temperatures rise, ensuring access to temperature-controlled environments will be crucial for protecting their cognitive well-being.”

Study Finds concluded:

The connection between temperature and cognition isn’t entirely surprising. As we age, our bodies become less efficient at regulating temperature, a problem often compounded by chronic conditions like diabetes or medications that affect thermoregulation. What’s novel about this research is its demonstration that these physiological vulnerabilities may extend to cognitive function in real-world settings. As winter gives way to spring and thermostats across the country get adjusted, this research suggests we might want to pay closer attention to those settings — especially in homes where older adults reside. The cognitive sweet spot of 68-75°F might just be the temperature range where wisdom flourishes.”

Stay hot!

The psalmist agrees. He was much wiser when his temperature was elevated. Listen to him:

My heart was hot in my inner parts;
while I pondered, fire burned;
I spoke with my tongue:
“Make me know, Yahweh, my end
and the extent of my days, what it is;
let me know how fleeting I [am].
Behold, You have set my days [as] handbreadths,
and my duration as nothing before You;
surely every human, [though] standing firm, is all a breath.”
Surely a person goes about as a shadow;
surely [for] a breath they make an uproar;
He heaps up [riches] and does not know who will gather them.
And now, in what do I hope, Lord?
My waiting, it is upon You.
From all my rebellions rescue me;
do not make me a reproach of the foolish.
Psalm 39:3–8

Amen.

SOURCE: Study Finds; Journal of Gerontology