Influence of Indoor Humidity on Physiological Strain in Older Adults During a Simulated Heat Wave

Launched by UNIVERSITY OF OTTAWA · Feb 17, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is studying how indoor humidity affects older adults when they are exposed to heat. Researchers want to understand if high humidity makes it harder for the body to cool down, especially during hot weather. They will test this by having older adults spend time in different indoor conditions that vary in temperature and humidity. For example, they will compare how participants feel and how their bodies respond in environments with comfortable humidity levels versus very high humidity levels. This research is important because it may help improve recommendations for indoor temperatures and humidity, especially as climate change continues to affect weather patterns.

To participate in this study, you should be a non-smoker, speak English or French, and be able to give informed consent. You may have conditions like high blood pressure or type 2 diabetes, but there are some health issues that could exclude you, such as severe complications from diabetes or uncontrolled high blood pressure. If you join the study, you can expect to spend about 10 hours in a controlled indoor environment while researchers monitor your body temperature and heart response. This trial aims to better understand how indoor humidity impacts health, especially for older adults.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Non-smoking.
• • English or French speaking.
• • Ability to provide informed consent.
• • with or without a) chronic hypertension (elevated resting blood pressure; as defined by Heart and Stroke Canada and Hypertension Canada), b) type 2 diabetes as defined by Diabetes Canada, with at least 5 years having elapsed since time of diagnosis
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Episode(s) of severe hypoglycemia (requiring the assistance of another person) within the previous year, or inability to sense hypoglycemia (hypoglycemia unawareness).
• • Serious complications related to diabetes (gastroparesis, renal disease, uncontrolled hypertension, severe autonomic neuropathy).
• • Uncontrolled hypertension - BP \>150 mmHg systolic or \>95 mmHg diastolic in a sitting position.
• • Restrictions in physical activity due to disease (e.g. intermittent claudication, renal impairment, active proliferative retinopathy, unstable cardiac or pulmonary disease, disabling stroke, severe arthritis, etc.).
• • Use of or changes in medication judged by the patient or investigators to make participation in this study inadvisable.
• • Cardiac abnormalities identified during screening