Heat exposure can affect hormones
Published: 16 Aug 2024
A multi-disciplinary team of researchers from the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS Medicine), University of Oxford, the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, and the William Harvey Research Institute (WHRI) at Queen Mary University of London, has stressed the urgent need for further research into the effects of heat exposure on the endocrine system. With climate change increasing seasonal temperatures and causing more heatwaves, understanding how extreme heat impacts our bodily functions and system has become more crucial than ever.
The review highlights the gap in evidence regarding the impact of sustained heat exposure on the endocrine system, by spotlighting a review of studies published from the 1940s onwards that involve the impact of short-term, heat exposure in pre-clinical models exposed to high temperatures on hormones required in processes ranging from the stress response, blood glucose control, fertility, and breast milk production.
Previous data suggested that foetal endocrine development could be affected by heat exposure, while its effect on girls and boys going through puberty is still unknown. Increased ambient temperatures have however been associated with a decreased level of ovarian follicles, which is associated with reduced fertility.
Additional areas of concern:
Pregnant women persistently exposed to high temperatures might have an increased risk of maternal complications such as gestational diabetes mellitus, and increased risks of preterm birth, stillbirth and low birthweight. During menopause, women undergo neuronal and hormonal changes that impair their thermoregulation which manifest as hot flushes that could be aggravated due to rising temperatures.
Thyroid disorders and diabetes mellitus fall under endocrine diseases that have the potential to cause maladaptive thermoregulatory responses. Thyroid disorders are associated with impaired thermoregulation, yet its consequences on heat exposure at the population level are largely unknown. Patients with diabetes mellitus are susceptible to water loss and dehydration, diabetes mellitus is also associated with decrease in skin blood flow and heat dissipation. In addition, patients with diabetes mellitus exposed to heat extremes have a higher likelihood of an increased cardiovascular event burden because of the risk factors involved.
The review can be found in Nature Reviews Endocrinology.
Click here for the press release.
