"The physical toll might not immediately manifest as an observable health outcome, but rather could affect our body at the cellular and molecular level," says co-author Eun Young Choi.
"Previous studies have linked changes in these markers to environmental and social stress, as well as pregnancy and some health conditions," suggesting broader implications for human health.
Choi and her colleagues turned to the 'epigenetic clock', a collection of chemical modifications to DNA that tend to change as people age.
Exposure to extreme heat events is linked to molecular changes that could reflect accelerated ageing, according to a preliminary analysis of DNA markers in more than 3,000 people.
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