Women’s Average Resting Body Temperature Increases Slightly From Age 18 to 42, Re-analysis Finds

Resting body temperature in women rises a little each year between the ages of 18 and 42, according to a re-analysis of data collected in the 1990s. aeb1175, examined daily oral or rectal temperature measurements taken upon waking by more than 750 participants who did not use hormonal contraception and did not have hormonal conditions such as PCOS.

05°C higher than younger participants across both halves of the menstrual cycle.

Body temperature was lower during the first half of the cycle and higher after ovulation in the second half. Marie Gombert-Labedens of SRI International, a research institute headquartered in California, led the re-examination. “We think there is a lot of information about health in the temperature signal,” she said.

The same data showed that finger skin temperature measured continuously by a smart ring was warmer on average in women aged 42 to 55 than in those aged 18 to 35. Gombert-Labedens said the gradual temperature increase probably relates to hormonal changes toward the end of the reproductive years.

She noted that it remains unclear whether the sudden temperature rise and hot flushes during perimenopause are linked to the same mechanisms.

Other research has found that after menopause, women’s body temperature tends to drop back to levels similar to those of men. Gombert-Labedens said the higher temperature around midlife may explain why some women at this age report feeling the cold less than they used to.

“We speculate that the higher temperature in midlife women could influence their perception and reaction to environmental temperature,” she said.

The researchers hope the findings will encourage use of temperature-sensing wearables to identify novel markers of health conditions. “We hope this facilitates investigations to identify novel markers of conditions – it may be an untapped resource of information about our health,” Gombert-Labedens said.