A new study shows that the temperature inside your home may affect how well your brain works—especially if you’re an older adult.
This research highlights a growing concern about how climate change could harm the mental health of aging people.
The study was done by scientists at the Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research. This institute is part of Hebrew SeniorLife and is connected with Harvard Medical School.
The researchers wanted to learn how indoor temperatures affect the brain function of older adults.
They discovered that people had the least trouble focusing when their home temperatures stayed between 68–75 ˚F (20–24 ˚C). But when the temperature went above or below this range by just 7 degrees Fahrenheit (4 degrees Celsius), the chances of having trouble paying attention doubled.
This shows that keeping a steady indoor temperature is very important for brain health in older adults.
The study lasted for one year and included 47 people aged 65 and older. The researchers tracked the temperature in their homes and asked them about their ability to focus. The results were published in the Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences.
Even with today’s climate, many older people live in homes where the temperature is too hot or too cold. This could already be affecting how clearly they can think.
People with low incomes are at higher risk. They often don’t have good heating or cooling systems, which makes it harder to keep their homes at a safe temperature. That puts them in greater danger of having memory or attention problems.
Dr. Amir Baniassadi, the lead author of the study, said, “As the world gets warmer, making sure older people can live in temperature-controlled homes is key to protecting their brain health.”
This study adds to earlier research showing that temperature affects sleep and thinking in older adults. It also shows the need for public health programs to help people stay safe as the climate changes.
Some ideas for solutions include:
Creating housing programs that can handle extreme weather.
Making heating and cooling systems more available and energy-efficient.
Using smart home devices to keep temperatures steady indoors.
The research team, including experts like Dr. Lewis Lipsitz and Dr. Brad Manor, believes this study shows that climate change affects more than just the body—it also affects the brain.
To protect older adults, everyone—governments, doctors, families—needs to work together. The goal is to make sure all seniors have access to homes that stay at safe, steady temperatures. This could help prevent serious problems with memory and thinking caused by a changing climate.
This research is a reminder that we need to think about brain health when we talk about climate change. While this study was small, the findings match other research that shows how rising temperatures affect our health in many ways.
If you care about brain health, check out other studies showing that inflammation might slow cognitive decline and that low vitamin D could speed it up. Exercise and healthy diets like the MIND diet may also help protect the brain.
The full results of this study can be found in The Journals of Gerontology, Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences.
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