Big thank you to @kingscollegelondon.bsky.social for the article and video, to my research team @nihr-hprfa-orb.bsky.social, my funders @nihr.bsky.social and @policyatkings.bsky.social and to @kingsioppn.bsky.social. The key message: use precise and self-explanatory words, not relativistic ones.

Public health messages should use self-explanatory language. If messages use vague words (like 'vulnerable'), people have to fill in the blanks. My research has impacted the language that @ukhsa.bsky.social uses. Here's an article and video all about it! www.kcl.ac.uk/news/spotlig...

#HealthEquity

P.S. the age categories here are generalised and I am not an expert on heat and aging, but there are a lot of scientific papers looking at how the body responds to heat in different conditions and ages which will give data!

This is why many people might not identify with messages saying that that because of their age group (or another general categorisation), they are at more risk than others from heatwaves (or other hazards) than others, unless the reasons why are properly explained. Thanks for reading! 🍨

HOWEVER, these changes in our bodies are not obvious - and most people don't know that as we get older, we can't rely on feeling uncomfortable to know when we are getting too hot - this isn't common knowledge.

For this reason, adults aged >50 are more likely to overheat and experience heat stroke or heat exhaustion than adults <30, whose bodies store less heat, cool down more quickly, and feel more uncomfortable in high temperatures than people aged 50+.

As the human body ages, we have smaller increases in our skin blood flow, and become slower to feel discomfort or start sweating when the temperature increases, compared to when we were aged 19-30.

Meanwhile, increased sweat and skin blood flow help transfer heat out of the body and into the air around it. However, the way the body feels and responds to heat changes with age, and these processes happen more slowly in people aged 50 and over, compared to adults under 30 years old.

The body’s way of responding to high temperatures involves feelings of discomfort, producing sweat and increasing blood flow to the skin. Feeling uncomfortably hot prompts us to try and cool down, by moving somewhere cooler or having a drink.

The press release mentions "those over the age of 65 or those with pre-existing health conditions" but it still might not be obvious to all readers what the relationship between high temperatures and age actually is and why it might apply to them. To explain:

It's hot! And @ukhsa.bsky.social have issued an amber heat alert, saying "even moderate heat can result in serious health outcomes, especially for older adults."... "If you have friends, family or neighbours who are more vulnerable, it is important to check in on them". www.gov.uk/government/n...

Thank you for having me!