Extreme heat doesn’t just leave you sweaty and cranky. According to new research, it is aging your body faster, almost like puffing away on cigarettes. Scientists at USC, Eunyoung Choi and Jennifer Ailshire, found that long-term exposure to high temperatures actually messes with your DNA.
Specifically, it changes the way your genes are expressed, in a process called DNA methylation. And that, they say, is a major marker of aging.
In places like Phoenix, where temperatures top 90°F more than 140 days a year, people showed signs of aging up to 14 months faster than folks living in cooler cities like Seattle. That is over a year of your biological clock ticking faster just because of where you live.
What Extreme Heat Does to Your Body
Extreme heat hits your cells hard. It causes stress at the microscopic level, triggering inflammation and cellular damage. These are the same things that happen when you smoke, binge drink, or live under constant stress.
Greg / Pexels / Per the study, your body sees heat as a threat, and over time, it wears down your defense systems.
Once that damage piles up, you are looking at higher risks for chronic diseases. Think dementia, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease. Not from poor diet or bad habits, but simply from living in an overheated environment. That is a scary thought, especially with summers getting hotter and longer every year.
However, at the heart of this problem is DNA methylation. This is a natural process where chemical tags land on your DNA and control which genes turn on or off. It is a key part of how your body regulates aging. But extreme heat messes with those tags, flipping switches in ways that fast-track aging.
Who Is at Higher Risk?
Not everyone faces the same risk. Older adults are more vulnerable because their bodies can’t cool off as efficiently. They sweat less, and blood doesn’t move to the skin as quickly, which means they overheat faster and take longer to recover.
Pedro / Pexels / Pregnant women face big risks, the study suggests. Extreme heat increases the chances of preterm birth and low birth weight.
These early life stressors may actually speed up aging in the baby’s cells, too. One hot summer could have long-term effects on the next generation.
Outdoor workers are on the front lines. People in agriculture, construction, or delivery jobs face heat stress day after day. Studies show this kind of long-term exposure can lead to kidney problems and cause age-related diseases to show up sooner than expected.
As global temperatures rise, scientists predict 20 to 30 more extreme heat days per year in the U.S. by 2050. That is an environmental pressure pushing millions into faster aging, even if they don’t smoke, drink, or live unhealthy lives.
Can You Reverse the Damage?
The good news is that some of the effects of extreme heat on aging might be reversible. Cooling strategies like using air conditioning, finding shade, and staying hydrated can help protect your body and slow the biological clock.
Even small changes in behavior can make a big difference. Avoid outdoor activity during peak heat hours, drink salted water or electrolyte drinks, and take more breaks. These simple actions help your body manage stress and recover faster.