The Claim: Body Temperature Declines With Age
Really? The Claim: Body Temperature Declines With Age
By ANAHAD OCONNOR in the nyTImes Published: December 28, 2009
scitimes@nytimes.com
note: I love the layout of this article, how the author provided links to each point as it was made instead of in footnotes. Now if only the links had transferred over when I copied the page so that I didn't have to copy each one individually!
Really? The Claim: Body Temperature Declines With Age
By ANAHAD OCONNOR in the nyTImes Published: December 28, 2009
THE FACTS Body temperature is not as simple as conventional wisdom suggests.
Years ago, scientists discovered that the normal resting body temperature for adults varies from person to person, but that the average temperature is close to 98.2 degrees Fahrenheit, not the widely stated 98.6 degrees. They also confirmed that body temperature rises from morning to evening.
Since then, some studies have shown that normal temperature seems to decline very slightly from decade to decade as well, and that the decline becomes particularly pronounced in older people. It sounds minor, but studies suggest that even a drop of a couple degrees could lead to serious fevers going unnoticed because of deceptively low temperature readings.
One study demonstrating this was published in The Journal of the American Geriatric Society. The scientists examined nursing home residents and found that about half who had infections showed temperatures below 101 degrees, even though many had robust changes in temperature an increase of 2.4 degrees or more indicating a potentially serious fever.
Lower baseline temperatures is one problem. Another is that a fever is part of the bodys defense mechanism against infections, and this immune response may be diminished in some elderly people, including, studies show, in up to 30 percent of those with serious bacterial or viral infections
THE BOTTOM LINE Some studies suggest normal body temperature can decline with age.
Years ago, scientists discovered that the normal resting body temperature for adults varies from person to person, but that the average temperature is close to 98.2 degrees Fahrenheit, not the widely stated 98.6 degrees. They also confirmed that body temperature rises from morning to evening.
Since then, some studies have shown that normal temperature seems to decline very slightly from decade to decade as well, and that the decline becomes particularly pronounced in older people. It sounds minor, but studies suggest that even a drop of a couple degrees could lead to serious fevers going unnoticed because of deceptively low temperature readings.
One study demonstrating this was published in The Journal of the American Geriatric Society. The scientists examined nursing home residents and found that about half who had infections showed temperatures below 101 degrees, even though many had robust changes in temperature an increase of 2.4 degrees or more indicating a potentially serious fever.
Lower baseline temperatures is one problem. Another is that a fever is part of the bodys defense mechanism against infections, and this immune response may be diminished in some elderly people, including, studies show, in up to 30 percent of those with serious bacterial or viral infections
THE BOTTOM LINE Some studies suggest normal body temperature can decline with age.
note: I love the layout of this article, how the author provided links to each point as it was made instead of in footnotes. Now if only the links had transferred over when I copied the page so that I didn't have to copy each one individually!