title: A genetic hypothesis for cause of death during the 1952 London Fog.
abstract: Analysis of autopsied cause of death during the London Fog of 1952 indicates that mortality from all respiratory causes, sudden and delayed, had a consistent male fraction of 0.622. Sudden death from heart failure had a similar male fraction of 0.612. However, heart failures after the first day of illness had a male fraction of 0.48. This significant difference in male fraction between sudden (0.61) and delayed (0.48) heart failure suggests different terminal events. Coronary sudden death may be attributable to right-sided heart failure, and the delayed form may be attributable to left-sided failure leading to pulmonary congestion. The male fraction in sudden respiratory and sudden cardiac deaths (0.612) is exactly the same as the male fraction in sudden infant death syndrome-0.612 - which has been posited as being X-linked. It is hypothesized that the same X-linked gene responsible for the 0.612 male fraction in sudden infant death syndrome may be a factor in the respiratory and sudden cardiac mortalities during the London Fog.
authors: United States Environmental Protection Agency, Atomospheric Research and Exposure Assessment Laboratory, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711, USA.
authors: D T
authors: DT
authors: Mage
authors: E M
authors: EM
authors: Donner
mesh_terms: D002423:Cause of Death; D016757:Death, Sudden, Cardiac / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D008040:Genetic Linkage; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D008131:London / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008957:Models, Genetic; D012140:Respiratory Tract Diseases / Q000235:genetics / Q000266:history* / Q000401:mortality; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012905:Smog / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013997:Time Factors; D014960:X Chromosome
chemical_list: D012905:Smog