Cold and mortality from ischaemic heart disease in northern Finland.
Mortality from ischaemic heart disease (IHD) in northern Finland was examined on a regional basis, correlating that observed in the general male population with environmental temperature and individual risk factors (smoking, serum lipids and blood pressure) as available from a health survey of 571 rural men. The age-adjusted mortality from IHD increased by 5% (95 C.I. 1-9%) per 1 degree C decline in January mean temperature, but this finding was largely due to high mortality in a single commune (Kittilä). The probability that a subject was living in this high mortality area increased by a factor of 16 (95% C.I. 4-58) per 1 degree C decline in temperature and was 5-fold in smokers as compared with non-smokers. The findings conform with previous reports claiming that climate is one factor contributing to regional differences in IHD.
Regional Institute of Occupational Health, Kastelli Research Centre, Oulu, Finland.
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Näyhä
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Hassi
D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure; D003080:Cold Temperature / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors
D008055:Lipids