from Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Seemingly small changes in summer temperatures, one or two degrees, may shorten life expectancy for elderly people with chronic medical conditions. Previous studies have confirmed the association between heat waves and higher death rates, but the study at Harvard School of Public Health suggests that separate from heat waves, variability in summer temperatures shortens life expectancy in susceptible people. The study appears in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and found each degree increase in summer temperature variability increased the death rate for elderly people with chronic conditions between two point eight and four percent. People adapt to usual temperatures, but it may be that chronic conditions make them less resilient to temperature swings.