Two studies have found profound effects cold and hot environments can have on the body’s cardiovascular system.

The outcomes, which were published within the journals Scientific Reports and Experimental Physiology, are especially price looking into, given the continued climate crisis humans are subjected to.

Because the world has already experienced, the climate crisis is aggravating heat waves to change into more frequent, longer, and more intense. These heat waves alone are liable for more deaths than natural disasters, in accordance with MedicalXpress. 

Furthermore, an increase in energy costs as a consequence of the energy crisis has led to many households slashing their heat expenditure or completely stopping it to heat their homes.

“In each studies, we replicated real-world environmental temperatures the body may be exposed to and were capable of show physiological responses that might help explain known seasonal differences in cardiovascular deaths,” physiologist Justin Lawley from the Department of Sport Science on the University of Innsbruck said, in accordance with the outlet.

Within the study investigating the role of warmth waves on industrial staff’ health, seven male participants were observed for nine consecutive regular workdays in a controlled laboratory setting. Through the study, participants were made to do every day tasks to mimic typical industrial work.

Even relatively mild heat waves lead to increased core and skin temperatures together with a rise in skin blood flow, in accordance with the outlet. These physiological reactions are essential to maintain the body from overheating at rest. Nevertheless, when standing, the body must maintain internal temperature in addition to maintain blood pressure to stop fainting, the study found. This burdens the cardiovascular system.

“These responses reflect the stress on the cardiovascular system that industrial staff face during heat waves, which may result in heat illness, fainting, and even potentially death as a consequence of accidents or serious medical complications in individuals with underlying heart problems,” Lawley emphasized.

For the second study, researchers examined the effect of mild cold exposure on the cardiovascular system and focused on finding mechanisms which might be liable for the rise in blood pressure.

Within the study, the skin temperature of 34 participants was cooled down from a traditional 32-34 degrees to about 27 degrees with ten degrees of cold air. Once, your entire body was cooled and in the subsequent instance, just the face was cooled.

“We observed that when your entire surface of the body is cooled, blood pressure increases mainly as a consequence of a rise in vascular resistance of the skin, although there was also a slight reflex increase in resistance of the blood vessels contained in the skeletal muscle,” Lawley said.

“Nevertheless, importantly, when only the face was cooled, we saw a really similar increase in blood pressure that was as a consequence of a reflex increase in vascular resistance of the skin throughout the entire body,” Lawley added.

The outcomes highlight the importance of protecting the face from cold and never just the body, even within the mild cold temperature of ten degrees.