title: Relationship between deaths from stroke and ischemic heart disease--environmental implications.
abstract: We analyzed the ratio of deaths from stroke and ischemic heart disease in Lithuania over a 72-month period (1990-1995) in relation to fluctuations in five physical environmental parameters. Results indicated a highly significant adverse correlation of the stroke/ischemic heart disease death ratio with both solar activity (r = -0.64, p = 0.0001), stronger for women than for men, and the planetary geomagnetic activity index (r = -0.33, p = 0.005). Proton flux > 60 MeV correlated significantly with the death ratio only for the 65-74-year age group (r = -0.36, p = 0.03) (36-month study). The last finding may be a result of different environmental influences on the pathogenesis of ischemic heart disease and cerebral vascular accidents at different ages. We conclude that the monthly ratio of deaths from stroke/ischemic heart disease is related to environmental physical activity.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Campus, Petah Tiqva, Israel.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Stoupel
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Petrauskiene
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Abramson
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kalediene
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Israelovich
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sulkes
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality*; D004574:Electromagnetic Fields; D004777:Environment; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008097:Lithuania / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality*; D011522:Protons; D012621:Seasons; D012737:Sex Factors; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013472:Sunlight; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D011522:Protons