Dataset Information

Efficacy of Cooling Centers for Mitigating Physiological Strain in Older Adults during Daylong Heat Exposure: A Laboratory-Based Heat Wave Simulation.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Health agencies, including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization, recommend that heat-vulnerable older adults without home air-conditioning should visit cooling centers or other air-conditioned locations (e.g., a shopping mall) during heat waves. However, experimental evidence supporting the effectiveness of brief air-conditioning is lacking.

Objective

We evaluated whether brief exposure to an air-conditioned environment, as experienced in a cooling center, was effective for limiting physiological strain in older adults during a daylong laboratory-based heat wave simulation.

Methods

Forty adults 64-79 years of age underwent a 9-h simulated heat wave (heat index: 37°C) with (cooling group, n=20) or without (control group, n=20) a cooling intervention consisting of 2-h rest in an air-conditioned room (∼23°C, hours 5-6). Core and skin temperatures, whole-body heat exchange and storage, cardiovascular function, and circulating markers of acute inflammation were assessed.

Results

Core temperature was 0.8°C (95% CI: 0.6, 0.9) lower in the cooling group compared with the control group at the end of the cooling intervention (p<0.001; hour 6), and it remained 0.3°C (95% CI: 0.2, 0.4) lower an hour after returning to the heat (p<0.001; hour 7). Despite this, core temperatures in each group were statistically equivalent at hours 8 and 9, within ±0.3°C (p≤0.005). Cooling also acutely reduced demand on the heart and improved indices of cardiovascular autonomic function (p≤0.021); however, these outcomes were not different between groups at the end of exposure (p≥0.58).

Discussion

Brief air-conditioning exposure during a simulated heat wave caused a robust but transient reduction in core temperature and cardiovascular strain. These findings provide important experimental support for national and international guidance that cooling centers are effective for limiting physiological strain during heat waves. However, they also show that the physiological impacts of brief cooling are temporary, a factor that has not been considered in guidance issued by health agencies. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP11651.

SUBMITTER: Meade RD

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10234508 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Efficacy of Cooling Centers for Mitigating Physiological Strain in Older Adults during Daylong Heat Exposure: A Laboratory-Based Heat Wave Simulation.

Meade Robert D RD Notley Sean R SR Akerman Ashley P AP McCormick James J JJ King Kelli E KE Sigal Ronald J RJ Kenny Glen P GP

Environmental health perspectives 20230601 6

<h4>Background</h4>Health agencies, including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization, recommend that heat-vulnerable older adults without home air-conditioning should visit cooling centers or other air-conditioned locations (e.g., a shopping mall) during heat waves. However, experimental evidence supporting the effectiveness of brief air-conditioning is lacking.<h4>Objective</h4>We evaluated whether brief exposure to an air-conditioned environment, ...[more]

PMID: 37262028

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Project description:Rising temperatures in most agricultural regions of the world are associated with a higher incidence of extreme weather events such as heat waves. We performed an experiment to mitigate the impact of heat waves and exposure of berries in grapevine (Vitis vinifera cv. "Cabernet Sauvignon") with untreated vines (Exposed) or with fruit-zone partial shading (Shaded) under 40 and 80% replacement of crop evapotranspiration (ET c ) with sustained deficit irrigation in a factorially arranged experiment. The trial was performed in a vineyard with vertically shoot positioned trellis with a row orientation that concentrated solar radiation exposure on the southwest aspect of the fruit zone. Leaf stomatal conductance (g s ) and net carbon assimilation (A N ) were significantly lower in shaded leaves under partial fruit-zone shading that resulted in lower pruning mass for Shaded treatments. Stem water potential (Ψ stem ) responded to a large extent to increased irrigation. However, grapevines with partial fruit-zone shading had transiently better water status under 40% ET c . Cluster maximum temperatures were 3.9°C greater in Exposed grapevines. Exposed clusters had transiently lower acidity and higher pH. However, Exposed clusters on 40% ET c had higher total soluble solids (TSS). The experimental vineyard suffered a 4-day heat wave 21 days before harvest, resulting in 25% of the clusters being damaged in Exposed treatment, regardless of irrigation amount. Furthermore, berries in Exposed treatments suffered a great loss of anthocyanins and flavonols even if they were not damaged by direct solar exposure. The pre-planting decision of using a vertically shoot positioned trellis that concentrated solar radiation on the Southwest aspect offered mild protection in a hot climate region with a sunny growing season with extreme heat events during the execution of study. The extreme conditions under which this study was conducted are not unusual, and have become more expected. Our work provided evidence of the vulnerability of grape berry to heat waves and exposure during heat wave events and possible protection methods to mitigate these effects in situ in context of climate change.

Dataset Information

Efficacy of Cooling Centers for Mitigating Physiological Strain in Older Adults during Daylong Heat Exposure: A Laboratory-Based Heat Wave Simulation.

Background

Objective

Methods

Results

Discussion

Publications

Efficacy of Cooling Centers for Mitigating Physiological Strain in Older Adults during Daylong Heat Exposure: A Laboratory-Based Heat Wave Simulation.

Similar Datasets

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