Project 454428

Canadian summers are getting hotter, and heatwaves are becoming more frequent. During heatwaves, elderly individuals are at increased risk of adverse health events such as fatigue, adverse cardiovascular events, heat exhaustion and heat stroke, especially those with common chronic health conditions such as type II diabetes or hypertension. This is because, as we age, the body loses less heat, and the cardiovascular system becomes less efficient. These age-related alterations are exacerbated in those with chronic health conditions. Establishing effective personal cooling strategies to protect the elderly is therefore crucial for meeting the pressing public health challenge posed by climate change and extreme heat. Health Canada and the World Health Organization currently recommend that individuals should visit a cooled location (e.g., a cooling centre) for a few hours or use an electric fan to protect themselves from the heat. However, there is little evidence to support these strategies. To address this knowledge gap, we will evaluate the effectiveness of cooling centers and electric fans for mitigating hyperthermia and reducing cardiovascular demand in elderly men and women (aged 65-85 years) with and without type II diabetes and/or hypertension during to a day-long simulated heatwave representative of temperature extremes faced by Canadians. We will also explore whether the benefits of these cooling strategies differ between individuals with type 2 diabetes or hypertension compared to otherwise healthy persons and whether cooling affects men and women differently. The proposed investigations will provide the first ever direct assessment of the physiological impacts of cooling centers and electric fans in a Canadian context. By evaluating the efficacy of these cooling strategies under 'real world' heat exposure conditions, this work will contribute to the development of disease- and sex-specific guidance tailored to protect vulnerable Canadians from extreme heat.