Seasonal variation of deaths from fatal myocardial infarction, primary cardiac arrest, sudden cardiac death, and refractory congestive heart failure in older persons living in New York City.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate if there is seasonal variation in cardiac deaths in older persons living in a nursing home in New York City.


METHODS
In a prospective study, the major clinical cause of death of all persons aged 60 years and older residing in a nursing home in New York City during a 15-year period was investigated. The author carefully reviewed the major cause of death with the physicians taking care of all persons who died in the nursing home or after transfer to a general hospital. We investigated whether there was seasonal variation in deaths from either fatal myocardial infarction, primary cardiac arrest, sudden cardiac death, or refractory congestive heart failure.


METHODS
A large nursing home in which 1265 older persons died of fatal myocardial infarction, primary cardiac arrest, sudden cardiac death, or refractory congestive heart failure during a 15-year period.


METHODS
The 1265 persons who died from cardiac causes included 410 men and 855 women, mean age 83 +/- 8 years at the time of death.


RESULTS
During a 15-year period, 1265 older persons died of fatal myocardial infarction, primary cardiac arrest, sudden cardiac death, or refractory congestive heart failure. Cardiac deaths occurred from December through March in 497 of 1265 persons (39%), from April through July in 378 of 1265 persons (30%), and from August through November in 390 of 1265 persons (31%). The frequency of cardiac deaths was significantly greater between December and March (P < 0.001). The incidence of cardiac deaths between December and March was 1.29 times greater than the average of the incidence of cardiac deaths during the two other 4-month periods.


CONCLUSIONS
The frequency of cardiac deaths in older persons living in a nursing home in New York City significantly increased 1.29 times during the period December through March compared with the average of the two other 4-month periods (P < 0.001).
Aronow
W S
WS
Hebrew Hospital Home, Bronx, NY 10475, USA.
Ahn
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