Extreme Heat May Be More Fatal For the Young?

Older folk are said to be more susceptible to heat waves. It's, consequently, been assumed that extreme heat, fuelled by global warming, will particularly endanger this age group. A study, published in Science Advances, however, casts doubt on this conclusion. Mexico has extensive heat-related mortality records and high 'wet bulb' temperatures. 'Wet bulb' measurements take in high humidities. In the 20 years preceeding 2019 in Mexico, 75% of deaths from elevated temperatures were actually in people under 35 years of age. Almost all cold-related deaths, were in folk older than 50. The study's data suggests that, as the world heats up (assuming there's no radical cut in 'greenhouse gas'emissions), there's likely to be, this century, a more than 30% increase in deaths of people under 35. The number of cold-related deaths is actually likely to decline. Global heating will, consequently, 'flip' mortality data to favour older folk over their younger counterparts (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/dec/06/young-adults-heat-related-deaths-climate-crisis). Subjects under 35 are not, however, a homogeneous group. Babies are more susceptible to heat, as they don't efficiently sweat. Whereas, many folk in their 20's and 30's, are likely to be working in agriculture or construction. These types of work expose participants to elevated temperatures for extended periods. Babies and outdoor manual workers are both likely to suffer most from global heating.