RESEARKA

By contrast, the tension between the positive effect reported in the diabetic population review (Heimburger 2022) and the null or unclear findings in general adult cohorts (Jaeckstein 2025, Mendez-Gutierrez 2024) underscores the context-dependency of BAT's immune interactions. The observed disagreements, such as the null vs positive tension between Mendez-Gutierrez 2024 and Feng 2025, are non-orthogonal and reflect differences in study design (systematic review vs. observational cohort), population (diabetics vs. general adults), and the specific immune pathways under investigation. While mechanistic plausibility for immune modulation exists, as evidenced by the preclinical data from Feng 2025, the current human evidence is mixed, preventing a definitive conclusion on the net immune impact of cold exposure via BAT activation in the general population.

Citation Support

• source_1 Jaeckstein 2025
• source_2 Ma 2025
• source_3 Feng 2025
• source_4 Kwok 2024
• source_5 Lyons 2024