title: Seasons, temperature and coronary disease.
abstract: Using data from a community-based register of heart disease (the WHO MONICA Project) associations between daily temperature, rainfall and other seasonal effects were investigated in relation to fatal coronary events and non-fatal definite myocardial infarctions in an Australian population. Coronary events, both fatal and non-fatal, were 20-40% more likely to occur in winter and spring than at other times of the year. Coronary deaths were more likely to occur on days of low temperature (and to a much lesser extent, on days of high temperature). No differences were found between patterns of sudden and non-sudden deaths (those occurring later after the onset of symptoms) associated with weather conditions. Statistical models allowing simultaneously for longer-term seasonal effects and daily temperature effects suggested that both exist. These results suggest that avoiding temperature stress could lead to reductions in the annual peaks in coronary events.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Enquselassie
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Dobson
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Alexander
authors.forename: P L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Steele
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D016757:Death, Sudden, Cardiac / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015233:Models, Statistical; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality*; D009517:New South Wales / Q000453:epidemiology; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011891:Rain; D012042:Registries; D012307:Risk Factors; D012621:Seasons; D013696:Temperature