Decreasing body temperature in humans since the Industrial Revolution

Angela

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Doctors are absolutely sure of everything until they're proved completely wrong. I've been telling my doctors for years that for me 98.6, anc certainly 99 is a "real" fever. I wonder how many conditions where a low grade fever is common have been missed.

See:
https://elifesciences.org/articles/49555

"[FONT=&quot]In the US, the normal, oral temperature of adults is, on average, lower than the canonical 37°C established in the 19[/FONT][FONT=&quot]th[/FONT][FONT=&quot] century. We postulated that body temperature has decreased over time. Using measurements from three cohorts--the Union Army Veterans of the Civil War (N = 23,710; measurement years 1860–1940), the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey I (N = 15,301; 1971–1975), and the Stanford Translational Research Integrated Database Environment (N = 150,280; 2007–2017)--we determined that mean body temperature in men and women, after adjusting for age, height, weight and, in some models date and time of day, has decreased monotonically by 0.03°C per birth decade. A similar decline within the Union Army cohort as between cohorts, makes measurement error an unlikely explanation. This substantive and continuing shift in body temperature—a marker for metabolic rate—provides a framework for understanding changes in human health and longevity over 157 year."

"[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Although there are many factors that influence resting metabolic rate, change in the population-level of inflammation seems the most plausible explanation for the observed decrease in temperature over time. Economic development, improved standards of living and sanitation, decreased chronic infections from war injuries, improved dental hygiene, the waning of tuberculosis and malaria infections, and the dawn of the antibiotic age together are likely to have decreased chronic inflammation since the 19[/FONT][FONT=&quot]th[/FONT][FONT=&quot] century. "

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I always have lower body temperature than the average but then I also have lower resting heart rate than the average (lower 50s bpm). It used to be lower 40s in my younger more athletic years.
 
I always feel I run hotter than average but then when I check my temp its always between 97-98.6, sometimes 99. Anything over though I can usually feel like crap so I assume 100 for me and up is a sign I am/getting sick. I am also a shallow breather, and have a sedentary work/out of work life so I am sure all these factors impact it.
 
I always feel I run hotter than average but then when I check my temp its always between 97-98.6, sometimes 99. Anything over though I can usually feel like crap so I assume 100 for me and up is a sign I am/getting sick. I am also a shallow breather, and have a sedentary work/out of work life so I am sure all these factors impact it.

Me too. My normal temp is always 97. something. If I have a 99 temp I'm sick. When it's 100 I'm at death's door. :) I had a terrible case of pneumonia about twenty years ago, and my temp was 99.

So, the results of this study don't surprise me at all.
 
Me too. My normal temp is always 97. something. If I have a 99 temp I'm sick. When it's 100 I'm at death's door. :) I had a terrible case of pneumonia about twenty years ago, and my temp was 99.

So, the results of this study don't surprise me at all.

Oh wow, you went into Pneumonia from a 99 temp? Is that typically common? I get so many sinus infections. at least 1-2 times a year. And One Flu as well that usually keeps me bed bound for a week.
 
Oh wow, you went into Pneumonia from a 99 temp? Is that typically common? I get so many sinus infections. at least 1-2 times a year. And One Flu as well that usually keeps me bed bound for a week.

Me too. It stinks, especially because my husband is the bionic man who never, ever gets sick. I can't remember the last time he had a cold, I don't think he's ever had a sinus infection or the flu that I can remember.

The corticosteroid nasal sprays have really helped with the sinus infections. Sometimes I use it twice a day. It beats being on antibiotics all the time. I also get the flu shot.

The doctor called it "walking pneumonia". I thought I had the flu, but by the third week I was concerned so I went to the doctor. He told me people who don't run high temps often let it go longer than necessary. I did have regular pneumonia as a child. My mother had told me, and the Xrays showed the scarring. It's no joke.

Those stone houses are great spring and summer, but when the fall and winter rains come, and if, like us, your house is right next to a river, the damp and fog seem to seep into your very bones. We didn't have central heating either, but instead those stoves, now I can't remember the name. My mother got pleurisy at the same time. Clearly, lung weakness runs in my mother's family, as my father wasn't bothered by it at all. If you know European parents or maybe grandparents who went through the war and its aftermath, they're eagle eyed when people start coughing. They saw too many deaths from TB in those years. As a result, my mother used to try to stuff me like a Christmas capon so I'd be strong enough to ward it off. That included zabaglione every morning for breakfast as it was the only way to get eggs into me. I used to gag at the very smell. What a spoiled child I was. :) My mother was definitely a saint; they don't make them like her anymore.

zabaglione-23465-1.jpeg
 
The normal body temperature in my family is 36.6°C (97.8°[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Tahoma, Calibri, Geneva, sans-serif]F)[/FONT]. My wife's temperature is usually slightly under 36°C (96.8°[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Tahoma, Calibri, Geneva, sans-serif]F)[/FONT].
 
I don't know what my normal temperature is, but I'm absolutely hot-natured, and I really love cold weather.
My toddler is a phenomenom. Last time I checked, the normal temperature of the little hurricane was 37.2 (I in turn don't feel that good at 37.2)... :) Believe me, with a fever of almost 39.0, he seemed ok: happy and even running around. I've only seen him really prostrate once, when it reached 39.8. Thankfully, it didn't last long.
 
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A person's normal body temperature changes at different stages of the day. Get up in the morning, before going to bed at night, after meals, or during other strenuous activities. Body temperature generally rises after a meal. Don't believe it? you can try it?
So if you find that your body temperature is too high at some point, don't panic. As long as you feel that your body is not uncomfortable, it is usually normal.
5-57344_sick-teddy-bear-wallpaper.jpg
PIC via W
 
I get the normal body temperature most of the time, 36.6 celius if pretty normal to me.
 
Homeostasis. If you have a slight temperature fluctuation if would be anything from an underlying health condition to simple nutrition. Women also tend to have a slightly higher core body temperature.

Another thing to consider is the means of the measurement. Rectal Thermometers are the most accurate.
 
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