Skin Temperature Gradient Effects on the Variation of Metabolic Hormones in Adults

Summary

The Cyprus International Institute for Environmental and Public Health of the Cyprus University of Technology is planning a pilot study of health indicators in relation to spatially varying climatic conditions ranging from the city to the mountainous environment. The purpose of the project is to understand the effect of fluctuations in external climatic conditions on the human body temperature and metabolic biomarkers or stress hormones.

Climate change phenomena such as protracted heat waves that create areas with even higher temperatures, especially in urban centers, may have a negative impact on human health. The effects may be acute for an individual with the appearance of discomfort and headaches, while chronic exposures to high air temperatures for the general population have been linked with premature mortality and cardiovascular diseases. Due to climate change that is hitting hard the Mediterranean, these temperature changes have been more and more common in Cyprus in recent years.

One of the usual ways of dealing with high temperatures is the use of air conditioners. With sudden and frequent temperature changes during the day, the human body is subject to thermal shock for varying duration and number of times, having wear and tear consequences for the human physiology. The investigators hypothesized that the number, duration and frequency of human exposures to wide gradient (\> 8 ° C) of air temperature changes may be related to potential health problems. An intervention potentially reducing the health risk associated with extended exposure to high temperatures in the summer for Cypriots may be the temporary (for a few days or hours) stay in the villages of mountainous area. Most of the mountain communities in Cyprus have consistently lower mean ambient air temperatures of about 10 degrees Celsius than those in the cities, so the investigators anticipate not observing the metabolic hormone alterations induced while being in the city environment.

Conditions

• Temperature Change, Body
• Stress
• Metabolic Disturbance

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Mountainous setting

The mountainous setting is characterized by lower temperatures (about 8-10C ambient air temp.) than those in urban setting, also having \>800m altitude.Each period will last for 1 week with a wash out period of minimum 2 days. Continuous skin temperature and ambient temperature monitoring will take place in the last day of each period, towards the end. During the 2 sampling days, 24-hour urine voids will be collected in different vials. Participants will be required to fulfill a diary with their daily activities, meal times, collection of urine times, sleep/wake times and times of leaving/entering a closed environment.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Cyprus University of Technology

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Konstantinos C Makris, PhD · Cyprus International Institute of Environmental and Public Health

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

DOUBLE

Model

CROSSOVER

Eligibility

Min Age

20 Years

Max Age

60 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2018-07-17

Primary Completion

2018-09-30

Completion

2018-10-10

Countries

• Cyprus

Study Locations