Facial temperature named as a factor in early diagnosis of metabolic diseases

A cold nose and warm cheeks may be a sure sign of high blood pressure

Researchers have found that temperature in different areas of the face is associated with various chronic diseases, such as diabetes and high blood pressure. These temperature differences are not easily detected by touch, but can be determined using special spatial temperature models derived from artificial intelligence, which requires a thermal imaging camera and a data-driven model.

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Results from a new study suggest that doctors may one day be able to use facial temperature measurements to help detect diseases early.

“Aging is a natural process,” said researcher Jing-Dong Jackie Han. ”But our tool can promote healthy aging and help people live disease-free lives.”

The team previously used 3D facial structure to predict people's biological age, which measures how quickly the body ages and is closely linked to the risk of diseases including cancer and diabetes. They were curious to see whether other facial features, such as temperature, could also predict the rate of aging and health.

Han and her colleagues analyzed the facial temperature of more than 2,800 Chinese respondents aged 21 to 88 years. The researchers then used this information to train artificial intelligence models that could predict a person's thermal age. They identified several key areas of the face where temperature is highly dependent on age and health, including the nose, eyes and cheeks.

Scientists have found that the temperature of the nose declines faster with age than other parts of the face, meaning that people with warmer noses have a younger temperature age. At the same time, the temperature around the eyes tends to increase with age.

The team also found that people with metabolic disorders such as diabetes and fatty liver experienced faster thermal aging. They tended to have a higher temperature in the eye area than their healthy peers of the same age. People with high blood pressure also had higher cheek temperatures.

After analyzing blood samples from the participants, the team found that the increase in temperature around the eyes and cheeks was mainly due to increased cellular activity associated with inflammation, such as repairing damaged DNA and fighting infections. The increase in this activity resulted in higher temperatures in certain areas of the face.

«Heat clocks are so closely linked to metabolic diseases that previous facial imaging models have failed to predict these conditions,&rdash; Khan explains.

Based on this connection, the team decided to test whether exercise could influence thermal age. They asked 23 participants to jump rope at least 800 times a day for two weeks. To the team's surprise, respondents reduced their thermal age by five years in just two weeks of exercise.

«We hope to apply thermal facial imaging in clinical settings as it has significant potential for early disease diagnosis and intervention.” — concludes Khan.