A new study has found that the temperature inside a person’s home can affect how well older adults are able to think and focus. The research also warns that climate change could make it even harder to protect brain health as the planet gets warmer.
Scientists from the Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research, which is part of Hebrew SeniorLife and linked to Harvard Medical School, carried out the study. Their goal was to learn more about how a person’s living environment affects their mental sharpness as they age.
The study found that older adults had the least trouble paying attention when their homes stayed between 68 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit (about 20 to 24 degrees Celsius).
When the temperature inside went outside this range — either hotter or colder — the risk of attention problems doubled with every 7-degree change. This means that keeping a steady indoor temperature is very important for keeping the brain healthy.
The study, called Home Ambient Temperature and Self-reported Attention in Community-Dwelling Older Adults, followed 47 people aged 65 and older for one year. Researchers tracked the temperatures inside their homes and asked the participants about any difficulties they had focusing.
Their findings, published in The Journals of Gerontology: Medical Sciences, show that even today’s climate conditions are already putting older adults at risk.
Many older people live in homes where indoor temperatures can change a lot, especially those with low incomes who may not have good heating or cooling systems. This makes them even more vulnerable to memory and attention problems.
Dr. Amir Baniassadi, the lead author of the study, said the research shows how important it is to understand how things like indoor temperature can affect brain health in older adults.
As the world gets hotter due to climate change, it will become even more important to make sure older adults can live in places with steady, comfortable temperatures.
This research builds on earlier studies that found connections between temperature, sleep, and brain function. It highlights the growing need for public health efforts to protect older people. Some solutions could include:
- Creating housing rules that make sure homes are ready for extreme temperatures.
- Making energy-efficient heating and cooling systems more available.
- Using smart home technologies that can adjust temperatures automatically.
The researchers also stressed the need for greater public awareness. Families, communities, healthcare providers, and governments will all need to work together to protect older adults’ brain health as the climate continues to change.
Dr. Lewis Lipsitz, Director of the Marcus Institute, and Dr. Brad Manor, an associate scientist involved in the study, believe these results add to growing evidence that climate change affects not just physical health, but also mental and cognitive health.
This study is a strong reminder that protecting brain health needs to be part of the bigger conversation about climate change. Especially for low-income and underserved groups, finding ways to keep indoor environments safe and comfortable is essential.
Although the study had a small number of participants, its findings match what other research is starting to show: that rising temperatures can have wide effects on human health. Taking action now — from better housing policies to more support for seniors — could make a big difference in protecting older adults in the years ahead.
If you are interested in brain health, you may also want to read about studies on how reducing inflammation could slow cognitive decline, and how low vitamin D levels might speed it up. Other research suggests that common exercises and diets like the MIND diet could help protect brain function and lower the risk of dementia.
The full research can be found in The Journals of Gerontology, Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences.
If you care about dementia, please read studies that eating apples and tea could keep dementia at bay, and Olive oil: a daily dose for better brain health.
For more health information, please see recent studies what you eat together may affect your dementia risk, and time-restricted eating: a simple way to fight aging and cancer.
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