Extreme heat poses greater danger to people 60 and over, research finds
A study in The Lancet Public Health reveals that older adults face health risks from heat exposure at lower temperatures than previously thought, with the world's population of those aged 60 and over projected to double by 2050.
Extreme heat poses a greater danger to people 60 and over than previously thought, according to a study in The Lancet Public Health.
Older adults are more vulnerable to heat-related health problems due to their reduced ability to sweat, increased heart rate in the heat, and narrower blood vessels that limit their capacity to stay cool.
The study, led by health academics from Stanford University in California, found that previous research did not properly account for the different risks faced by younger people, middle-aged adults, and older adults.
A combination of rising global temperatures and the projected doubling in the world's population of those aged 60 and over to 2.1 billion by 2050 means more people in that age bracket will suffer heat-related health problems, especially in low- and middle-income countries.
The study suggests that heatwaves will leave huge and growing numbers of people worldwide of all ages suffering from uncompensable heat stress (UHS) - where the body loses the ability to cool itself - and thus at risk of serious damage to their health, including death.
According to Dr. Simon Williams, an expert in the impact of heat on human health and the resulting inequalities at Swansea University, the study's findings are significant, as they suggest that heatwaves and extreme heat exposure will be a growing threat to human health in the coming years.
The study also found that older adults are projected to face far more frequent and widespread UHS than young adults, with each additional degree of global heating exposing roughly one million more people to at least 180 hours of UHS annually.
This burden falls disproportionately on older adults, with Caroline Abrahams, the charity director at Age UK, stating that the findings are alarming and that extreme heat poses a very real health threat to the older population.
Dr. Hilary Williams, the clinical vice-president of the UK's Royal College of Physicians, added that extreme weather, including severe heat, is a patient safety issue, and that managing multiple health conditions at once is hard enough, but doing it when the body's ability to regulate its own temperature is less efficient makes it harder still.
### Heat-Related Health Problems
Heat-related health problems are a growing concern, especially for older adults. The study found that older adults are more vulnerable to heat-related health problems due to their reduced ability to sweat, increased heart rate in the heat, and narrower blood vessels that limit their capacity to stay cool.
### Projected Doubling of Population Aged 60 and Over
The world's population of those aged 60 and over is projected to double by 2050, with 2.1 billion people expected to be in this age bracket. This means that more people will suffer heat-related health problems, especially in low- and middle-income countries.
### Heatwaves and Extreme Heat Exposure
Heatwaves and extreme heat exposure will be a growing threat to human health in the coming years, according to the study. Older adults are projected to face far more frequent and widespread UHS than young adults, with each additional degree of global heating exposing roughly one million more people to at least 180 hours of UHS annually.
### Patient Safety Issue
Extreme weather, including severe heat, is a patient safety issue, according to Dr. Hilary Williams, the clinical vice-president of the UK's Royal College of Physicians. Managing multiple health conditions at once is hard enough, but doing it when the body's ability to regulate its own temperature is less efficient makes it harder still.
### Hospital Doctor's Account
One hospital doctor reported the temperature on the geriatric ward where they work reaching 36C during this summer's extreme heat. "That is not a safe environment for patients or staff," said the doctor.
### UK Health Security Agency's Warning
The UK Health Security Agency fears that 2026's high temperatures in Britain are likely to mean that the country records its highest ever number of heat-related deaths in a year. The four-day heatwave in May and eight-day heatwave in June together caused 2,877 excess deaths, almost double the 1,504 seen during the summer of 2025.
