Lower ambient temperature was associated with an increased risk of hospitalization for stroke and acute myocardial infarction in young women.
OBJECTIVE
Results of investigations into the impact of seasonal variation on the incidence of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) have been inconsistent. Using the WHO Collaborative Study of CVD and Steroid Hormone Contraception database, we attempted to examine the relationship between variation in three climatic variables and risk of hospitalization for venous thromboembolism (VTE), arterial stroke, and acute myocardial infarction (AMI).


METHODS
We compared the monthly mean temperature, rainfall, and humidity with rates of hospitalized VTE, stroke, and AMI among young women aged 15-49 from 17 different countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the Caribbean by using a negative binomial regression model.


RESULTS
The study included 1146, 2,269, and 369 cases of VTE, stroke, and AMI, respectively. Significant associations between temperature and hospital admission rates of stroke and AMI, but not VTE, were apparent. Lagging the effects of temperature suggested that these effects were relatively acute, within a period of a month.


CONCLUSIONS
These data may help in understanding the mechanisms whereby stroke and AMI events are triggered.
Chang
Choon Lan
CL
Cardiovascular Studies Unit, Imperical College London, Department of Clinical Pharmacology, St. Mary's Campus, London W2 1PG, United Kingdom. c.l.chang@imperial.ac.uk
Shipley
Martin
M
Marmot
Michael
M
Poulter
Neil
N
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002980:Climate; D005260:Female; D014943:Global Health; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D013696:Temperature; D020246:Venous Thrombosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology