Work

Ambient outdoor heat and accelerated epigenetic aging among older adults in the US

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Extreme heat is well-documented to adversely affect health and mortality, but its link to biological aging—a precursor of the morbidity and mortality process—remains unclear. This study examines the association between ambient outdoor heat and epigenetic aging in a nationally representative sample of US adults aged 56+ ( N = 3686). The number of heat days in neighborhoods is calculated using the heat index, covering time windows from the day of blood collection to 6 years prior. Multilevel regression models are used to predict PCPhenoAge acceleration, PCGrimAge acceleration, and DunedinPACE. More heat days over short- and mid-term windows are associated with increased PCPhenoAge acceleration (e.g., B prior7-dayCaution+heat : 1.07 years). Longer-term heat is associated with all clocks (e.g., B prior1-yearExtremecaution+heat : 2.48 years for PCPhenoAge, B prior1-yearExtremecaution+heat : 1.09 year for PCGrimAge, and B prior6-yearExtremecaution+heat : 0.05 years for DunedinPACE). Subgroup analyses show no strong evidence for increased vulnerability by sociodemographic factors. These findings provide insights into the biological underpinnings linking heat to aging-related morbidity and mortality risks.

Source: Science Advances

DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adr0616

Authors: Eun Young Choi, Jennifer A. Ailshire

Institution: University of Southern California

Language: English

Topic: Climate Change and Health Impacts

Subfield: Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $4,500