Having a colder nose and warmer cheeks could indicate the possibility of increased blood pressure.
Studies have revealed a link between temperatures in different areas of the face and various chronic conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure. Although these temperature variations may not be easily noticeable to the naked eye, they can be detected using specialized AI-generated spatial temperature patterns that require a thermal camera and a trained model. The findings were published on July 2 in the journal Cell Metabolism. With further investigation, healthcare providers may one day utilize this straightforward and non-invasive method for early disease detection.
“Aging is a natural process,” stated Jing-Dong Jackie Han, the corresponding author of the paper from Peking University in Beijing. “However, our tool could potentially support healthy aging and assist individuals in living free from illnesses.”
Prior to this research, the team employed 3D facial structure to predict individuals’ biological age as an indicator of the body’s aging process. Biological age is closely linked to disease risk, such as cancer and diabetes. The team wondered whether other facial features, like temperature, could also predict aging and health status.
Han and her team analyzed facial temperatures of over 2,800 Chinese participants ranging from 21 to 88 years old. Subsequently, they used this data to train AI models capable of predicting a person’s thermal age. Various facial regions, including the nose, eyes, and cheeks, showed significant temperature correlations with age and health.
The researchers noted that the temperature of the nose decreases with age faster than other facial areas, indicating that individuals with warmer noses may have a younger thermal age. Conversely, temperatures around the eyes tend to rise with age.
Individuals with metabolic disorders like diabetes and fatty liver disease exhibited accelerated thermal aging, with higher eye area temperatures compared to their healthy peers of the same age. Furthermore, individuals with elevated blood pressure showed higher temperatures in their cheek region.
After analyzing participants’ blood samples, the team discovered that the heightened temperatures around the eyes and cheeks were predominantly due to increased cellular activities associated with inflammation, DNA repair, and infection fighting. These heightened activities contributed to elevated temperatures in specific facial regions.
“The thermal clock is strongly linked to metabolic diseases, posing a challenge for previous facial imaging models in predicting these conditions,” remarked Han.
Considering this relationship, the researchers investigated whether exercise could impact thermal age. They instructed 23 participants to jump rope at least 800 times daily for two weeks. Surprisingly, these participants exhibited a five-year reduction in thermal age after just two weeks of exercise.
Future plans include exploring the potential of using thermal facial imaging to forecast other conditions like sleep disorders and cardiovascular issues.
“We aim to implement thermal facial imaging in clinical practice due to its significant potential in early disease identification and intervention,” added Han.
