Living Lab 3: Protecting Older Adults with Hypertension from Climate-Related Health Risks

Outdoor wokers - Living Lab1

Older adults living with hypertension are at increased risk during periods of extreme heat and air pollution. Rising temperatures can lead to dehydration, cardiovascular stress, and worsened hypertension outcomes, including a higher risk of hospital admission and even mortality. ISMED-CLIM’s Living Lab 3 (LL3) is dedicated to developing and testing real-world solutions to reduce these risks.

Focus of Living Lab 3

LL3 targets older adults aged 60 and above with diagnosed hypertension. These individuals represent a significant portion of the population who are more vulnerable to heat stress due to age-related physiological changes and pre-existing cardiovascular conditions.

This Living Lab is being carried out in two cities:

  • Barcelona, Spain, through the Hospital Vall d’Hebron and affiliated healthcare networks.

  • Águeda, Portugal, involving a network of local health and social care providers experienced in managing elderly populations.

 

What will be tested?

In a randomised controlled trial, 102 participants will be recruited and divided into two groups. They will test:

  • Personalized early warning alerts for extreme heat and air quality events, delivered via smartphones and web platforms.

  • Tailored recommendations for mitigating exposure, including hydration reminders, ventilation advice, and activity adjustment suggestions.

  • Use of wearable sensors to monitor environmental exposure, physical activity, and key health indicators such as heart rate and blood pressure trends.

Participants will also engage with a citizen app designed to provide user-friendly information and simple guidance based on real-time environmental conditions.

Why this matters

Hospital admission rates for hypertensive patients tend to spike during heatwaves and pollution episodes. By testing proactive, personalized interventions in real-world settings, LL3 aims to generate scientific evidence that will inform public health strategies for protecting older adults.

This Living Lab will also explore how to integrate these interventions into both urban hospital networks (as in Barcelona) and more decentralized health services (as in Águeda), providing valuable insight for different healthcare system models.

Broader Impact

The results of LL3 will contribute to ISMED-CLIM’s mission of developing practical, scalable tools that can reduce the health impacts of climate change across vulnerable populations. The insights gathered will also support the development of training modules for healthcare professionals and public health agencies working on climate adaptation strategies.