Effect of pedestal fan use on serum stress biomarkers in older adults exposed to simulated daylong indoor overheating
Abstract There is an urgent need to develop targeted heat‐alleviation strategies to protect heat‐vulnerable older adults. We have shown that electric fan use had nominal impact on reducing body core temperature and cardiovascular strain during daylong exposure to simulated indoor overheating. Here,...
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Wiley
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Physiological Reports |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.14814/phy2.70390 |
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| author | Ben J. Lee Thomas McCarthy Fergus O'Connor Sarah L. Davey C. Douglas Thake James J. McCormick Kelli E. King Pierre Boulay Robert D. Meade Glen P. Kenny |
| author_facet | Ben J. Lee Thomas McCarthy Fergus O'Connor Sarah L. Davey C. Douglas Thake James J. McCormick Kelli E. King Pierre Boulay Robert D. Meade Glen P. Kenny |
| author_sort | Ben J. Lee |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract There is an urgent need to develop targeted heat‐alleviation strategies to protect heat‐vulnerable older adults. We have shown that electric fan use had nominal impact on reducing body core temperature and cardiovascular strain during daylong exposure to simulated indoor overheating. Here, we examined the effects of pedestal fan use during exposure to hot conditions on systemic markers of enterocyte damage, immune activation, renal ischemia, and inflammation in older adults. Eighteen adults (8 females; age 72, SD 7 years) underwent 3 randomized 8‐h exposures to 36°C, 45% relative humidity seated in front of a fan delivering air speeds of 0 m/s (control), 2 m/s (normal air speed delivered by electric fans), or 4 m/s (air speed used in biophysical modeling). Body core temperature and cardiovascular strain were measured throughout. Blood samples were obtained for analysis of systemic biomarkers before and at the end of exposure. End‐exposure core temperature was elevated ~1.0°C from baseline in all conditions. Following heat exposure, IFABP increased by 364 pg/mL [95% CI: 59, 670; p = 0.02] and LBP increased by 3.06 ng/mL [1.12, 5.00; p = 0.002] but was not different between the fan use and control condition (all p ≥ 0.15). No changes were observed for sCD14, IL‐6, TNFα, CRP, or NGAL (all p ≥ 0.15). The use of electric fans during daylong exposure to indoor overheating failed to meaningfully mitigate increases in physiological strain or biochemical markers associated with enterocyte damage and immune activation in older adults. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT05695079. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-49a63c62b22b45d8a70a4c97a7ba9340 |
| institution | Matheson Library |
| issn | 2051-817X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Physiological Reports |
| spelling | doaj-art-49a63c62b22b45d8a70a4c97a7ba93402025-06-27T10:14:44ZengWileyPhysiological Reports2051-817X2025-06-011312n/an/a10.14814/phy2.70390Effect of pedestal fan use on serum stress biomarkers in older adults exposed to simulated daylong indoor overheatingBen J. Lee0Thomas McCarthy1Fergus O'Connor2Sarah L. Davey3C. Douglas Thake4James J. McCormick5Kelli E. King6Pierre Boulay7Robert D. Meade8Glen P. Kenny9Occupational and Environmental Physiology Group, Centre for Physical Activity, Sport, Exercise Sciences Coventry University Coventry UKOccupational and Environmental Physiology Group, Centre for Physical Activity, Sport, Exercise Sciences Coventry University Coventry UKHuman and Environmental Physiology Research Unit, School of Human Kinetics University of Ottawa Ottawa Ontario CanadaOccupational and Environmental Physiology Group, Centre for Physical Activity, Sport, Exercise Sciences Coventry University Coventry UKOccupational and Environmental Physiology Group, Centre for Physical Activity, Sport, Exercise Sciences Coventry University Coventry UKHuman and Environmental Physiology Research Unit, School of Human Kinetics University of Ottawa Ottawa Ontario CanadaHuman and Environmental Physiology Research Unit, School of Human Kinetics University of Ottawa Ottawa Ontario CanadaFaculty of Physical Activity Sciences University of Sherbrooke Sherbrooke Quebec CanadaHuman and Environmental Physiology Research Unit, School of Human Kinetics University of Ottawa Ottawa Ontario CanadaHuman and Environmental Physiology Research Unit, School of Human Kinetics University of Ottawa Ottawa Ontario CanadaAbstract There is an urgent need to develop targeted heat‐alleviation strategies to protect heat‐vulnerable older adults. We have shown that electric fan use had nominal impact on reducing body core temperature and cardiovascular strain during daylong exposure to simulated indoor overheating. Here, we examined the effects of pedestal fan use during exposure to hot conditions on systemic markers of enterocyte damage, immune activation, renal ischemia, and inflammation in older adults. Eighteen adults (8 females; age 72, SD 7 years) underwent 3 randomized 8‐h exposures to 36°C, 45% relative humidity seated in front of a fan delivering air speeds of 0 m/s (control), 2 m/s (normal air speed delivered by electric fans), or 4 m/s (air speed used in biophysical modeling). Body core temperature and cardiovascular strain were measured throughout. Blood samples were obtained for analysis of systemic biomarkers before and at the end of exposure. End‐exposure core temperature was elevated ~1.0°C from baseline in all conditions. Following heat exposure, IFABP increased by 364 pg/mL [95% CI: 59, 670; p = 0.02] and LBP increased by 3.06 ng/mL [1.12, 5.00; p = 0.002] but was not different between the fan use and control condition (all p ≥ 0.15). No changes were observed for sCD14, IL‐6, TNFα, CRP, or NGAL (all p ≥ 0.15). The use of electric fans during daylong exposure to indoor overheating failed to meaningfully mitigate increases in physiological strain or biochemical markers associated with enterocyte damage and immune activation in older adults. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT05695079.https://doi.org/10.14814/phy2.70390agingclimate changeelectric fansenterocyte damageimmune responseinflammation |
| spellingShingle | Ben J. Lee Thomas McCarthy Fergus O'Connor Sarah L. Davey C. Douglas Thake James J. McCormick Kelli E. King Pierre Boulay Robert D. Meade Glen P. Kenny Effect of pedestal fan use on serum stress biomarkers in older adults exposed to simulated daylong indoor overheating Physiological Reports aging climate change electric fans enterocyte damage immune response inflammation |
| title | Effect of pedestal fan use on serum stress biomarkers in older adults exposed to simulated daylong indoor overheating |
| title_full | Effect of pedestal fan use on serum stress biomarkers in older adults exposed to simulated daylong indoor overheating |
| title_fullStr | Effect of pedestal fan use on serum stress biomarkers in older adults exposed to simulated daylong indoor overheating |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effect of pedestal fan use on serum stress biomarkers in older adults exposed to simulated daylong indoor overheating |
| title_short | Effect of pedestal fan use on serum stress biomarkers in older adults exposed to simulated daylong indoor overheating |
| title_sort | effect of pedestal fan use on serum stress biomarkers in older adults exposed to simulated daylong indoor overheating |
| topic | aging climate change electric fans enterocyte damage immune response inflammation |
| url | https://doi.org/10.14814/phy2.70390 |
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