Turn up the heat: Indoor temps tied to blood pressure
Simply cranking up the thermostat a few degrees may help people manage their blood pressure, suggests new research in the Journal of Hypertension.
After adjusting for confounding factors, the researchers found each one degree Celsius decrease—equivalent to 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit—was associated with rises of 0.48 mm Hg in systolic blood pressure and 0.45 mm Hg in diastolic blood pressure.
“Our research has helped to explain the higher rates of hypertension, as well as potential increases in deaths from stroke and heart disease, in the winter months, suggesting indoor temperatures should be taken more seriously in diagnosis and treatment decisions, and in public health messages,” senior author Stephen Jivraj, PhD, with University College London, said in a press release. "Among other diet and lifestyle changes people can make to reduce high blood pressure, our findings suggest that keeping homes a bit warmer could also be beneficial.”
The study included 4,659 individuals aged 16 and older who participated in the 2014 Health Survey for England. Nurses visited each person in their homes to take their blood pressure and measure the indoor temperature of their living room.
Among other findings, Jivraj and colleagues noted individuals who exercised less were more susceptible to blood pressure changes as a result of colder indoor temperatures. This suggests regular physical activity could mitigate the effects of living in a cooler environment.
Overall, average blood pressures were 126.6/74.5 mm Hg in the coldest homes in the study compared to 121.1/70.5 in the warmest homes.
"We would suggest that clinicians take indoor temperature into consideration, as it could affect a diagnosis if someone has borderline hypertension, and people with cooler homes may also need higher doses of medications," said study coauthor Hongde Zhao.
Although the study didn’t define a specific threshold for a warm enough home, the authors suggested keeping them heated to at least 21 degrees Celsius or 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
Daniel joined TriMed’s Chicago editorial team in 2017 as a Cardiovascular Business writer. He previously worked as a writer for daily newspapers in North Dakota and Indiana.