Association between Occupational High-Temperature Exposure and the Biological Aging of Workers.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the association between occupational high-temperature exposure and accelerated biological aging.

METHODS

A total of 140 male workers exposed to occupational high-temperatures and 207 male non-exposed control workers were selected as study subjects. Questionnaire surveys and health examinations were conducted. Biological age and organ-specific biological age were calculated using the Klemera-Doubal method. Generalized linear models were used to analyze the effects of occupational high-temperature exposure, body mass index (BMI), smoking, alcohol consumption, and sleep duration on biological age (BA) acceleration and organ-specific biological age.

RESULTS

Significant differences were observed between the exposed and control groups in length of service, systolic blood pressure, red blood cell count, albumin levels, urea, creatinine, BA acceleration, and liver-kidney BA acceleration ( P < 0.05). Compared with the control group, which showed a BA acceleration of 0.04 ± 1.34 years, the exposed group demonstrated significantly higher BA acceleration of 0.62 ± 1.31 years. After adjustment for covariates, workers exposed to high-temperatures exhibited significantly higher BA acceleration and liver-kidney BA acceleration than controls ( P < 0.001). High-temperature exposure and BMI were associated with BA acceleration, with a significant interaction between the two factors ( P < 0.05). High-temperature exposure, BMI, and smoking were identified as risk factors for BA acceleration, whereas sleep duration was a protective factor ( P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Occupational high-temperature exposure may accelerate biological aging. An interaction exists between occupational high-temperature exposure and BMI in relation to BA acceleration.

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