In:
The Journals of Gerontology: Series A, Oxford University Press (OUP), Vol. 77, No. 9 ( 2022-09-01), p. 1890-1897
Abstract:
Aging affects immunity, potentially altering fever response to infection. We assess effects of biological variables on basal temperature, and during COVID-19 infection, proposing an updated temperature threshold for older adults ≥65 years. Methods Participants were from 4 cohorts: 1 089 unaffected adult TwinsUK volunteers; 520 adults with emergency admission to a London hospital with RT-PCR confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection; 757 adults with emergency admission to a Birmingham hospital with RT-PCR confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection and 3 972 adult community-based COVID Symptom Study participants self-reporting a positive RT-PCR test. Heritability was assessed using saturated and univariate ACE models; mixed-effect and multivariable linear regression examined associations between temperature, age, sex, and body mass index (BMI); multivariable logistic regression examined associations between fever (≥37.8°C) and age; receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to identify temperature threshold for adults ≥ 65 years. Results Among unaffected volunteers, lower BMI (p = .001), and increasing age (p & lt; .001) was associated with lower basal temperature. Basal temperature showed a heritability of 47% (95% confidence interval 18%–57%). In COVID-19+ participants, increasing age was associated with lower temperatures in Birmingham and community-based cohorts (p & lt; .001). For each additional year of age, participants were 1% less likely to demonstrate a fever ≥37.8°C (OR 0.99; p & lt; .001). Combining healthy and COVID-19+ participants, a temperature of 37.4°C in adults ≥65 years had similar sensitivity and specificity to 37.8°C in adults & lt;65 years for discriminating infection. Conclusions Aging affects temperature in health and acute infection, with significant heritability, indicating genetic factors contribute to temperature regulation. Our observations suggest a lower threshold (37.4°C/97.3°F) for identifying fever in older adults ≥65 years.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
1079-5006
,
1758-535X
DOI:
10.1093/gerona/glab295
Language:
English
Publisher:
Oxford University Press (OUP)
Publication Date:
2022
detail.hit.zdb_id:
2043927-1
SSG:
12
Permalink