View clinical trials related to Heat Stress Disorders.
Filter by:Climate change not only affects the planet's natural resources, but also severely impacts human health. An individual's ability to adequately cope with short- or long-term increases in ambient temperature is critical for maintaining health and wellbeing. Prolonged increases in temperature (heatwaves) pose a serious health risk for older adults, who have a reduced capacity to efficiently regulate body temperature. However, information regarding the impact of age on body temperature regulation during prolonged exposure to extreme heat is lacking, as is research on the effectiveness of interventions aimed at reducing heat strain in such situations. This project will address these important knowledge gaps by exposing healthy young and older adults to a prolonged (9 hour) heat exposure, with conditions representative of heatwaves in temperate continental climates. An additional cohort of older adults will complete the same heatwave simulation but will be briefly (2 hours) exposed to cooler conditions (22-23°C) mid-way through the session (akin to visiting a cooling centre or cooled location). The investigators will evaluate age-related differences in the capacity to dissipate heat via direct air calorimetry (a unique device that permits the precise measurement of the heat dissipated by the human body) and their effect on the regulation of body temperature. The investigators anticipate that older adults will exhibit progressive increases in the heat stored in the body throughout the simulated heatwave, resulting in progressive increases in body core temperature. Further, older adults exposed to brief-mid day cooling will rapidly gain heat upon re-exposure to high ambient temperatures. As a result, by the end of exposure body temperatures will be similar to the group not removed from the heat.
An individual's ability to adequately cope with short- or long-term increases in ambient temperature is critical for maintaining health and wellbeing. Prolonged increases in temperature (heatwaves) pose a serious health risk for older adults, who have a reduced capacity to regulate body temperature. Currently, however, there is a lack of information regarding how different environmental conditions experienced during heatwaves impact body temperature regulation and physiological function. This is particularly important in the context of ambient conditions in the home, where older adults spend the majority of their time. This project will address this important issue by exposing healthy older adults to prolonged (8-hour) simulated heatwaves comprising a range of environmental conditions representative of an actively cooled domicile through to a worst-case scenario (i.e., no capacity for home cooling). The investigators will directly measure their ability to regulate their body temperature and the associated impact on the autonomic control of the heart. The investigators anticipate that physiological strain will be mild during prolonged exposure to conditions below the currently recommended thresholds set by Toronto Public Health (26°C). However, at higher indoor temperatures, impairments in body temperature and cardiovascular regulation will be seen.
In the context of global aging, the health risk factors associated with exercising or working in the heat for aging population are exacerbated by the rising in global surface temperatures. The purpose of this investigation is to determine at what age the heat loss decrements occur and to examine if aerobic fitness level can affect the heat loss capacity in neutral environmental conditions.
The project's primary aim is to evaluate the effectiveness of a multi-level heat prevention approach in reducing adverse heat health effects in outdoor agricultural workers The secondary aims are to: - Test the effectiveness of an individual-level training component designed to reduce adverse heat health effects in outdoor agricultural workers - Evaluate the effectiveness of a workplace supervisor-level heat awareness application intended to support supervisor decisions to reduce the risk of workers experiencing adverse heat health effects
Many tennis tournaments are played outdoors in hot and humid conditions, which poses a significant challenge particularly for children athletes. The purpose of this investigation is to examine if a precooling method can reduce thermal strain and consequently improve the performance of adolescent tennis athletes while exercising in hot conditions.
Solar radiation is a physical phenomenon which interacts with any human being throughout its life on earth. This interaction is associated with numerous physiological functions, as well as a broad spectrum of deleterious effects on human health and wellbeing. The aim of this study is to elucidate the effects of solar radiation on human function and cognition in environmental conditions characterized by the same thermal stress.
Workplace heat exposure affects billions of people during their everyday work activities. Occupational heat stress impairs workers' health and capacity to perform manual labour. Therefore, the aim of this study was to observe the heat strain experienced by workers in occupational settings and test different strategies to mitigate it during actual work shifts in agriculture, manufacture, tourism, construction, and other services.
The aim of the study is to study the thermoregulatory responses under real life conditions, such as during wheelchair rugby and basketball matches. A further goal is to develop and validate a standardised field-based protocol, which induces the same thermoregulatory response as during a wheelchair rugby and basketball match. This knowledge allows to investigate strategies to reduce heat stress and to enhance exercise performance (e.g. pre-cooling) in the future, based on standardised conditions.
Arteries are flexible in their structure and function and change in response to a variety of factors. Endothelial cells, are the skin type cells that form a layer inside arteries, and they are very important for arterial health. When they work properly, they produce substances that make the artery enlarge and support a healthy environment; but when they do not work properly, they produce substances that make the artery constrict and lead to a harmful environment. We can measure the function of these cells using an ultrasound machine and a quick test. The application of heat has been shown to change the structure and function of arteries, but we need to understand how these changes happen before we can effectively use heat as a therapy. Limb heating protocols (e.g., leg bath), in contrast with whole-body heating modes (e.g., sauna), are appealing as therapies because they generally cost less and are easier to use; but evidence is needed to demonstrate that they work before widespread use can be considered. Imagine soaking your legs in a bathtub filled with warm water becoming part of the options you have for staying healthy. Clearly, there is a lot of potential for heat to be used as a therapy, particularly for people who are unable to, or have difficulty participating in other health interventions that are known to improve arterial, but we need to do this type of research before we are able to recommend warm foot baths for therapeutic purposes.
The many complaints that have been expressed by the US aircrew of the F-35 regarding the heat stress in the cockpit raised an obvious concern that, as a result of such heat levels, the aviators' core body temperature may increase significantly, and subsequently cause severe cognitive impairment- risking both the pilot and the mission. In order to validate this hypothesis, we will measure the aviators' core body temperatures while inside the cockpit of the F-35, to see whether their core body temperatures are rising to a level that can cause heat stress or not. The temperatures will be measured on another fourth generation aircraft as well for comparing purposes. The temperatures will be measured using a Telemetric pill which will be ingested by each aviator. Once ingested, the pill will transmit the data to an external monitor. The collected data will be examined and analyzed in order to determine the likelihood of heat stress occurrence.