SCIENCE

How Body Heat Affects DNA in the Bloodstream

Thu Jul 03 2025

Scientists wanted to see how body temperature changes can impact DNA floating in the blood. They looked at two ways to heat up the body: from outside (like a warm bath) and from exercise.

Methods of Heating the Body

  • Exercise: Physical activity that increases body temperature.
  • External Heating: Methods like sitting in a sauna or taking a warm bath.

The Study

They did tests on young, healthy men. They heated them up in two ways:

  1. Exercise: Physical activity to raise body temperature.
  2. External Heating: Warming the body from the outside.

They wanted to see if these two methods had different effects on the DNA in the blood.

Results

  • Both methods of heating changed the amount of DNA in the blood.
  • Exercise caused a bigger and quicker change than external heating.

Importance of the Study

This study is important because it shows that body temperature can affect DNA in the blood. This DNA might be a useful marker for understanding how the body responds to different stresses.

Unanswered Questions

  • How long do these changes last?
  • Do they happen the same way in everyone?

More research is needed to find out.

questions

    What are the implications of these findings for the use of cfDNA as a biomarker in clinical settings?
    How does the increase in body temperature from exogenous and exertional heating specifically influence the release of cfDNA?
    Could sauna sessions replace blood tests for checking DNA levels?

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