title: Earthquake and coronary heart disease risk factors: a longitudinal study.
abstract: The longitudinal association between a number of coronary heart disease risk factors and the experience of a natural disaster (earthquake) was analyzed in a group of workers participating in a longitudinal epidemiologic investigation. The 5-year follow-up examination was interrupted by a major earthquake, and examinations were resumed 2 weeks after the quake. Participants screened after the quake had, on average, higher heart rates, serum cholesterol, and triglycerides than participants examined before the quake; these differences were independent from the coronary heart disease risk factor values measured 5 years previously during the baseline examination. The data collected during the 12-year examination indicated that the observed short-term increase in serum lipids and heart rate was not present long-term (7 years after the quake). These longitudinal data indicate that exposure to a natural disaster can be associated with short-term increases in heart rate, serum cholesterol, and triglycerides but that there is no apparent long-term effect on these coronary heart disease risk factors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, State University, Buffalo, NY 14214.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Trevisan
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Jossa
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Farinaro
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Krogh
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Panico
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Giumetti
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mancini
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004190:Disasters; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012307:Risk Factors; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D014280:Triglycerides; D002784:Cholesterol