# why do elderly people get cold easier than others?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-elderly-people-get-cold-easier-than-others/268558>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 11, 2004, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-elderly-people-get-cold-easier-than-others/268558 "2004-10-11T01:47:01Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\
**Post date:** [October 11, 2004, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-elderly-people-get-cold-easier-than-others/268558/1 "2004-10-11T01:47:01Z")

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This has probably been asked before but, why do elderly people get cold easier than others?  
My father, almost 90, has the heat on.  
Today it was 60 I believe.

Also, I have always been colder than others all my life.  
Is there a way to change this (diet, vitamins, what?)

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**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\
**Post date:** [October 11, 2004, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-elderly-people-get-cold-easier-than-others/268558/2 "2004-10-11T01:51:27Z")

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Sometimes older people simply have poorer circulation.

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**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\
**Post date:** [October 11, 2004, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-elderly-people-get-cold-easier-than-others/268558/3 "2004-10-11T02:06:16Z")

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> [@vanilla](#):
>
> This has probably been asked before but, why do elderly people get cold easier than others?  
> My father, almost 90, has the heat on.  
> Today it was 60 I believe.
> 
> Also, I have always been colder than others all my life.  
> Is there a way to change this (diet, vitamins, what?)

A number of things can contribute to feeling cold, one of the chief reasons being poor circulation and low iron in the blood, both of which are common in older people.

If you want to not be cold, I would suggest getting more iron. There’s no guarentee this will keep you from getting cold, but it might help. Also doing things that increase circulation (exercise and the like) might also help, as it builds up your cardiovascular system.

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**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\
**Post date:** [October 11, 2004, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-elderly-people-get-cold-easier-than-others/268558/4 "2004-10-11T02:18:49Z")

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OK folks, let’s get to facts. Rarely is it iron deficiency. Occasionally “poor circulation” may contribute. But most often it’s due to

> [@](#):
>
> many age-related physiologic changes predispose elderly persons to hypothermia. Changes in response to endogenous catecholamines reduce the vasoconstrictor and shivering responses to cold. A decrease in lean body mass reduces the efficiency of shivering for producing heat. Less physical activity and reduced caloric intake also affect the ability to produce heat.

[http://www.merck.com/mrkshared/mm\_geriatrics/sec8/ch67.jsp](http://www.merck.com/mrkshared/mm_geriatrics/sec8/ch67.jsp)

The article goes on to recommend a minimum ambient temperature of at least 65 degrees fahrenheit for elderly folks, to reduce the risk of hypothermia. Ensuring adequate nutrition, regular exercise, and keeping the head, hands and feet covered are also helpful in retaining heat. And many elderly are on medications which throw off the thermo-regulatory system too.

QtM, MD