Research brief: Body temperature key to longevity

Keeping the core body temperature low could be the key to a longer life, according to US researchers. They created a strain of mice with a core body temperature between 0.3°C and 0.5°C lower than normal mice. The colder mice were found to have a longer life span than normal mice fed the same diet. In females, a reduced core body temperature was associated with a 20 per cent extension in lifespan. In males, it was increased by 12 per cent (Science Online).