Older adults appear less emotionally affected by heat

When the outside temperatures rise, people tend to lose their cool. That connection is well known, but a new study found that emotional responses to heat are highly individualized and only one factor moderated it -- age. Overall, researchers found that the actual temperature at which the majority of people felt uncomfortable during a hot summer depended on the individual. When they did feel discomfort, it often negatively affected their mood. The exception: older adults on average became more uncomfortable in high heat more quickly, but it did not affect their mood as much as it did younger adults.

When the outside temperatures rise, people tend to lose their cool. That connection is well known, but a new study found that emotional responses to heat are highly individualized and only one factor moderated it -- age. Overall, researchers found that the actual temperature at which the majority of people felt uncomfortable during a hot summer depended on the individual. When they did feel discomfort, it often negatively affected their mood. The exception: older adults on average became more uncomfortable in high heat more quickly, but it did not affect their mood as much as it did younger adults.

Read more https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/10/241015141351.htm