The Effect of Aging on Body Temperature: A Systematic Review and Meta- Analysis

Abstract

Background: Since age is the major risk factor for chronic diseases and mortality, older adults having lower basal temperature than young individuals seems to be a misconception. Many confounding factors could hinder the achievement of a consensus, such as the different sites of measurement, control of basal conditions, health conditions, age difference compared, sex, and others. Objective: The aim was to meta-analyze previous studies in order to find a consensus regarding the effects of aging on body temperature in humans, considering different types of temperature assessments, age differences, and sex. Methods: A systematic search was performed in PubMed, and 16 studies comparing basal temperature between older and young adults were meta-analyzed. Results: Older adults have significantly lower body temperature than young adults (-0.17 °C [-0.30; -0.03], p=0.04). Considering the different sites of measure, while core temperature tended to be lower in older adults (-0.13 °C [-0.27; 0.01], p=0.07), skin temperature was not different (-0.21°C [-0.5; 0.08], p=0.15). The aging effects were more prominent in men when assessed by oral temperature and when compared between higher age differences. Conclusion: Indeed, there is a small reduction in overall temperature with aging, drove by a reduction in core temperature rather than skin temperature. The confirmation of these findings by this meta-analysisprovides a base for the development of strategies to face the impairment in thermoregulation and metabolic efficiency with aging.

GABA Prevents Age-Related Sarcopenic Obesity in Mice with High-Fat-Diet-Induced Obesity

“…However, body mass gain and VAT lipid accumulation were decreased by GABA treatment in aged HFD-fed mice. Moreover, other important physiological changes, such as a body temperature decrease, occur with age [41]. Consistently, we identified in the present study that body temperature was decreased in aged mice relative to that in young mice.…”

Infrared Thermography in Symptomatic Knee Osteoarthritis: Joint Temperature Differs Based on Patient and Pain Characteristics

“…Age showed a negative correlation with the skin temperature of the knee, with younger patients having higher temperatures compared to older patients. The lower temperature of the knees of elderly patients is ascribable to the decrease in body temperature with aging, probably due to a reduction in basal metabolic rate and a lower muscle component compared to the younger population [ 21 , 22 , 23 ]. Moreover, a reduction in the overall skin temperature with aging has been justified by the reduction in core temperature in older adults due to a reduction in metabolic processes and to an alteration in the heat dissipation through the skin [ 22 , 24 , 25 ].…”

“…The lower temperature of the knees of elderly patients is ascribable to the decrease in body temperature with aging, probably due to a reduction in basal metabolic rate and a lower muscle component compared to the younger population [ 21 , 22 , 23 ]. Moreover, a reduction in the overall skin temperature with aging has been justified by the reduction in core temperature in older adults due to a reduction in metabolic processes and to an alteration in the heat dissipation through the skin [ 22 , 24 , 25 ]. This was reported in healthy subjects by Ferreira et al, who found that young subjects’ limbs’ temperature was higher compared to the elderly subjects’ limbs [ 26 ].…”

A Continuously Worn Dual Temperature Sensor System for Accurate Monitoring of Core Body Temperature from the Ear Canal

“…Additionally, numerous factors can affect a person's temperature, including medications, the environment, exercise, skin color, gender, race, and body temperature variations throughout the day and month [8][9][10][11]. Moreover, there are differences in people's individual basal body temperatures, which presents an even greater challenge in older adults due to increased variation in their baseline temperatures [12].…”