Cognitive decline may be hastened by extreme heat in vulnerable populations

A new study finds that ongoing extreme heat can worsen cognitive decline among vulnerable groups-particularly Black older adults and those living in poor neighborhoods.

As heat waves become more frequent and intense due to climate change and urban heat islands, the researchers sought to understand the connection between extreme heat exposure and cognitive decline. They analyzed data from nearly 9,500 U.S. adults ages 52 and older surveyed over a 12-year period (2006-2018) as part of the Health and Retirement Study conducted by the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research, which measures participants’ cognitive function over time.

The researchers also looked at socioeconomic measures of the neighborhoods where participants lived. In addition, they calculated participants’ cumulative exposure to extreme heat during this 12-year period based on historical temperature data from the CDC’s National Environmental Public Health Tracking Network.

They found that high exposure to extreme heat was associated with faster cognitive decline among residents of poor neighborhoods, but not for those in wealthier neighborhoods. Moreover, cumulative exposure to extreme heat was associated with faster cognitive decline among Black older adults, but not white or Hispanic older adults

Reference: Cumulative exposure to extreme heat and trajectories of cognitive decline among older adults in the USA, Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, DOI 10.1136/jech-2023-220675