IUBio

Warm blooded?

F. Frank LeFever flefever at ix.netcom.com
Sat Jan 16 20:32:28 EST 1999


Some might argue that this reflects a salutory low metabolism,
requiring lower caloric intake; which seems to promote longer
lifespans.  I have known of an individual with a much lower basal
temperature; an MS patient, raising the speculation that this was an
adaptive re-setting of his set-point, inasmuch as elevated temperatures
(ambient or endogenous) can exacerbate MS symptoms.

His temperature was, however, low enough to be near a danger point, the
margin between his optimal level and harmful hypothermia being
apparently very narrow.  Don't recall details, but believe something
(medication??) did push him to a lower level and compromised
functioning for a while.

F. Frank LeFever, Ph.D.
New York Neuropsychology Group


In <369FD3C9.3863C35 at ix.netcom.com> Richard Sargent
<dsargent at ix.netcom.com> writes: 
>
>My personal blood temperature has always been quite low.  Normal
>temperature for me has been 97.2 degrees Fahrenheit, over a degree
from
>'normal'.  at a checkup at the doctor's today, my measured temperature
>was 96.2 degrees (-2 1/2 deg!), "Guess you don't have a fever" says
the
>nurse.  While I don't feel really 'chilled' in any way, I am wondering
>if having consistent low blood temperature can be harmful.  Should I
>wear more clothes or turn the heat up in the house?  I realize that
I'm
>not a lizard so the prior two actions might be ineffective, I'm just
>slightly concerned.
>
>Thanks,
>Peter L. Sargent
>




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