Kenney W L, Hodgson J L
Pennsylvania State University, University Park.
Sports Med. 1987 Nov-Dec;4(6):446-56. doi: 10.2165/00007256-198704060-00004.
Older individuals, regardless of how one classifies 'old', are the most rapidly growing portion of the population. Statistics from heat waves and other morbidity-mortality data strongly suggest that older persons are at greater risk of developing life-threatening manifestations of heat stress such as heat stroke. Most laboratory studies have found that ageing is associated with decreased heat tolerance and alterations in thermoregulatory effector responses. What is not so clear is the role of ageing per se in this decreased heat tolerance (as opposed to some concomitant functional decline, e.g. decreasing VO2max, which accompanies ageing across a population). Studies have shown decrements in resting heat tolerance and responses to thermal transients in older adults. With exercise in warm environments, most research has focused on the sweating response and it appears that whether or not sweating rate declines in the elderly is dependent upon the environment studied. In hot dry environments, older persons (of both sexes) consistently secrete sweat at a lower rate than their younger counterparts. However, as humidity of the environment increases, this difference tends to disappear. A key issue which deserves further attention is that of hydration in the elderly, both in terms of body water content and compartmentalisation, and of skin water content. Finally, ageing is often accompanied by other conditions (e.g. hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular insufficiencies, long term therapeutic drug modalities) which further affect heat tolerance and thermoregulation.
老年人，无论人们如何界定“老年”，都是人口中增长最为迅速的部分。热浪及其他发病率 - 死亡率数据的统计结果有力地表明，老年人更有可能出现中暑等危及生命的热应激表现。大多数实验室研究发现，衰老与耐热性降低及体温调节效应反应的改变有关。目前尚不清楚的是衰老本身在这种耐热性降低中所起的作用（与某些伴随的功能衰退相反，例如在整个人口中随着衰老而出现的最大摄氧量下降）。研究表明，老年人静息时的耐热性及对热瞬变的反应有所下降。在温暖环境中进行运动时，大多数研究都集中在出汗反应上，而且老年人出汗率是否下降似乎取决于所研究的环境。在炎热干燥的环境中，老年人（无论男女）出汗率始终低于年轻人。然而，随着环境湿度增加，这种差异往往会消失。一个值得进一步关注的关键问题是老年人的水合作用，包括身体水分含量及分布，以及皮肤水分含量。最后，衰老往往伴随着其他病症（如高血压、糖尿病、心血管功能不全、长期治疗药物模式），这些会进一步影响耐热性和体温调节。
