There is no such thing as a normal body temperature - scientists

American researchers have discovered that "normal" body temperature varies depending on age, gender, height and weight, and even fluctuates throughout the day.

Scientists from Stanford University have created a tool that allows you to determine what should be the normal temperature for each person individually, reports the Daily Mail.

It is noted that if you  don't feel good- it is absolutely necessary to check if the temperature does not exceed 38 degrees. But this  temperature can also be an inaccurate indicator of the disease.

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After taking 600,000 measurements of oral temperature in adults seen at the Stanford Health Center from 2008 to 2017, scientists recorded the time of admission, age, gender, weight and height of each patient, as well as any medication they were taking. . Underlying medical conditions were also taken into account.

The results, published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine, show that the average normal temperature for adults is actually 36.6 degrees. The analysis also showed that men tend to have lower temperatures than women. And also - that "normal readings" decrease with age and height, but increase with severity.

Another factor in determining "normal temperature" was the time of day when people were coldest in the morning and warmest around 4:00 p.m. It turned out that everyone's normal body temperature is different and varies throughout the day.

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For example, the normal temperature of a tall 80-year-old man with low weight was 36.8 degrees, while for a stunted 20-year-old obese woman it was 37.9 degrees.

The researchers noted that other factors such as clothing, physical activity, thermometer errors, weather and hot or cold drinks can also affect the readings.

As to women,  their body temperature can be affected by the menstrual cycle, particularly during ovulation, temperatures rise by about a degree.

Earlier, a group of researchers from the Higher Technical School of Zurich, led by Professor Markus Stoffel, discovered an unusual genetic risk factor for hereditary obesity: the micro RNA-7 molecule.

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