The world is experiencing increased frequency, duration, and severity of life-threatening heat extremes. Most hospitalizations and excess deaths during extreme heat events are associated with preexisting diseases in older adults. As climate change persists, the global population ages and the number of individuals with chronic diseases expands, more people are at risk of adverse health outcomes during extreme heat events. Therefore, proactive preventive measures are urgently needed to mitigate heat-related health risks within these populations. In this context, passive heat therapy (e.g., hot baths, saunas, and water-perfused suits) emerges as a promising countermeasure to improve physiological resilience to a warming planet. Passive heating improves cardiovascular function and overall health in older adults and individuals living with chronic diseases, offering the prospect of reducing cardiovascular strain during hotter days. Moreover, some studies suggest that passive heat therapy can be an effective strategy for heat acclimation (i.e., improved thermoregulation). This review describes the existing literature on the effects of passive heat therapy on cardiovascular and thermoregulatory responses in individuals with higher heat-related health risks and explores the use of passive heating as a strategy for heat acclimation to mitigate health risks during extreme heat events.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Passive heat therapy improves cardiovascular function and health in middle-aged and older adults living with or without chronic diseases. In addition, preliminary studies indicate that passive heat interventions can induce heat acclimation, improving thermoregulatory responses. Thus, passive heat therapy could serve as a preventive measure for people at risk of adverse health outcomes during extreme heat events, improving resilience to ongoing climate change.
Keywords: aging; cardiovascular diseases; climate change; extreme heat events; passive heating.