An expert on aging, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association (243:47), believes that the risk of death from hypothermia (body coldness) in the elderly has been greatly underestimated. The expert believes that many elderly people with heart disease or pneumonia really die from the effects of low body temperature rather than from the illnesses listed in their death certificates.
Elderly people do not always sense how cold they are, and this, combined with a decline in the ability of their bodies to conserve and generate heat when needed, makes it difficult for them to tolerate cool surroundings. Even when they are not ill, and the room temperature does not fall below 65° F (18°C), older people can slide slowly, over a period of several days, into a dangerous state of hypothermia.
Nowadays, as we try to conserve energy during the winter by keeping our houses cooler, electric blankets and long underwear become essential for older members of the family.
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