As people get older, many worry about losing their memory or having trouble focusing.
A new study now shows that something as simple as the temperature inside your home could play a big role in how clearly older adults can think.
It also warns that as the Earth continues to warm due to climate change, this problem could become worse.
Researchers from the Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research, connected to Hebrew SeniorLife and Harvard Medical School, wanted to find out how home temperature affects older adults’ ability to stay focused. They looked at people aged 65 and older who were living in their own homes, not in care facilities.
They discovered that the best thinking happened when the temperature inside the home stayed between 68 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit (or 20 to 24 degrees Celsius). When the temperature went above or below this range, people were more likely to say they had trouble paying attention.
In fact, every time the temperature changed by just 7 degrees outside this range, the risk of attention problems nearly doubled. This means that both too much heat and too much cold could make it harder for older people to stay mentally sharp.
The study followed 47 older adults for a year. The researchers placed sensors in their homes to record the temperature and regularly asked them how well they were able to concentrate. The results were published in a respected journal called The Journals of Gerontology: Medical Sciences.
This is important because many older adults live in houses where the indoor temperature changes a lot. Those with lower incomes often can’t afford good heating or air conditioning. These people are at greater risk of problems with memory, attention, and other thinking skills.
Dr. Amir Baniassadi, the main author of the study, said the research shows we need to look more closely at how a person’s living space affects their health, especially their brain health. As the planet heats up, it becomes even more urgent to make sure homes stay at comfortable temperatures to protect older people.
The findings also support earlier research that linked indoor temperature with sleep quality and brain performance. The results show that we need public health programs and policies that help older adults stay safe as the weather becomes more extreme.
Some possible solutions include making heating and cooling systems more affordable, designing homes that stay cool in the summer and warm in the winter, and using smart thermostats that adjust the temperature automatically.
The researchers said this is not just a problem for individuals and families to handle alone. Communities, healthcare workers, and governments all need to help.
Dr. Lewis Lipsitz, the Director of the Marcus Institute, and Dr. Brad Manor, another scientist on the project, both agree that climate change is not only harming our bodies—it could also be harming our minds.
Even though the study was small, it fits with other research that shows rising temperatures can affect our health in many ways. Acting now could help protect the mental health of older adults in the future.
If you’re interested in brain health, other studies have shown that keeping inflammation low and getting enough vitamin D may help protect thinking skills. Simple habits like regular exercise and following brain-friendly diets like the MIND diet might also lower the risk of memory loss or dementia.
If you care about brain health, please read studies about inflammation that may actually slow down cognitive decline in older people, and low vitamin D may speed up cognitive decline.
For more health information, please see recent studies about common exercises that could protect against cognitive decline, and results showing this MIND diet may protect your cognitive function, prevent dementia.
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