Editing IPCC:AR6/WGII/Chapter-7 (section)

===== 7.1.7.3.3 Elderly =====

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Population age structures and changes over time have a significant influence on vulnerability to the impacts of weather and climate. Older adults (generally defined as persons aged 65 and older) are disproportionately vulnerable to the health impacts associated with climate change and weather extremes, including a greater risk of succumbing to waterborne pathogens due to poorer functioning thermoregulatory mechanisms, greater sensitivity to dehydration, changes in their immune systems and greater likelihood of having pre-existing chronic illnesses such as diabetes or respiratory, cardiovascular and pulmonary illnesses ( [[#Benmarhnia--2016|Benmarhnia et al., 2016]] ; [[#Diaz--2015|Diaz et al., 2015]] ; [[#Mayrhuber--2018|Mayrhuber et al., 2018]] ; [[#Paavola--2017|Paavola, 2017]] ). Older adults may be less prompt in seeking medical attention when suffering from GI illnesses, which can lead to dehydration ( [[#Haq--2014|Haq and Gutman, 2014]] ). [[#Åström--2017|Åström et al. (2017)]] anticipate heat-related mortality among the elderly in Europe to rise in the 2050s under RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 in the absence of significant preventative measures. In a study of the combined effects of warming temperatures and an aging population in Korea, [[#Lee--2016|Lee and Kim (2016)]] projected a four- to six-fold increase in heat-related mortality by the 2090s when accounting for temperature and age structure.

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