Study Links Housing Type To Cardiovascular Death Risk Among Older Adults In Japan

A 6-year cohort study conducted by researchers from Japan, comprising astir 39,000 older adults recovered that group surviving successful rental flats and owner-occupied detached houses look higher risks of cardiovascular decease compared pinch those successful owner-occupied flats. The study attributes to nan accrued consequence to colder, little unchangeable indoor temperatures successful these lodging types and suggests that improving lodging value to reside these issues could little cardiovascular mortality, peculiarly among men.

Where we unrecorded tin style really agelong we live. Growing grounds shows that nan value of lodging affects nan consequence of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). In 2018, nan World Health Organization (WHO) issued nan Housing and Health Guidelines, noting that CVDs, specified arsenic changeable and bosom illness are much communal successful acold homes. The study emphasized that vulnerability to acold raises humor pressure, a known contributor to CVD risk. In Japan, nan Cardiovascular Disease Clinical Practice Guidelines released successful 2024 besides recognized lodging arsenic a societal biology facet influencing cardiovascular health.

Now, researchers astatine Institute of Science Tokyo (Science Tokyo), Japan, supply further grounds of clear differences successful CVD consequence depending connected lodging status. In a study published successful Volume 3, Issue 2 of nan journal BMJ Public Health connected September 08, 2025, they study that group surviving successful rental flats and owner-occupied detached houses look a higher consequence of decease from CVD, compared pinch those successful owner-occupied flats.

The study was led by Assistant Professor Wataru Umishio from nan Department of Architecture, Science Tokyo, successful collaboration pinch colleagues from Science Tokyo's Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Nihon Fukushi University, and Chiba University.

The findings are based connected a 6-year cohort study of 38,731 older adults successful Japan, pinch an mean property of 73.6 years. Researchers linked participants' lodging and tenure types-including owner-occupied detached houses, owner-occupied flats, rental detached houses, and rental flats-to charismatic records of deaths from cardiovascular causes specified arsenic acute myocardial infarction, arrhythmias, bosom failure, and strokes.

One explanation, nan researchers note, lies successful structural differences betwixt lodging types that impact indoor thermal conditions. Detached houses, exposed to nan outdoor situation connected each sides, are much susceptible to debased and fluctuating indoor temperatures, dissimilar flats, which are insulated by neighboring units. Previous studies successful Japan person shown that detached houses thin to person acold and unstable indoor temperatures, some of which tin raise humor unit and summation its variability.

Men were astir astatine risk, apt because they mostly person higher humor unit than women. According to nan Japanese Society of Hypertension Guidelines, men successful their 60s and 70s thin to person higher systolic humor unit than women of nan aforesaid age.

Poor lodging value successful rental flats was identified arsenic different factor. Many rental properties person inferior insulation, partially owed to nan "split incentive" problem, wherever landlords person small information to put successful improvements that chiefly use nan tenants. National surveys show that conscionable 15% of rental homes successful Japan person double model sashes or double-glazed windows, compared pinch 38% of owned homes.

The researchers propose that improving insulation and keeping indoor temperatures supra nan WHO-recommended 18 °C could little cardiovascular deaths, peculiarly among older adults and men. For Japan's aging population, safe and lukewarm homes are a captious portion of nationalist health.

Such initiatives for promoting nan take of high-quality lodging could lend not only to improving cardiovascular wellness but besides to enhancing planetary wellness by mitigating ambiance alteration done reduced power consumption." 

Wataru Umishio, Assistant Professor, Department of Architecture, Science Tokyo