Geographical variations in heart deaths and diabetes: effect of climate and a possible relationship to magnesium.
BACKGROUND
Geographical variations in deaths from heart disease and the prevalence of diabetes occur in the United States.


METHODS
These geographical variations, by state, were compared to the tertiles of the Z-score (Z-climate) obtained from the mean annual temperature and precipitation, by state, and to the tertiles of the Z-score (Z-environment) obtained from six environmental factors, by state, in monovariant analyses of variance.


RESULTS
Both Z-scores were significantly related to male heart deaths (Z-climate: p = 0.000009; Z-environment: p = 0.000043) with Z-climate being the most significant. Both Z-scores were significantly related to the 1998 prevalence of diabetes (Z-climate: p = 0.00018; Z-environment: p = 0.0059) with the climate again being the most significant.


CONCLUSIONS
Increased temperature can increase magnesium sweat losses, which may not be compensated by diet or water intake. Climate relationships to these diseases need further investigation.
Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food Science, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA. kay_franz@byu.edu
Kay B
KB
Franz
Sonia M
SM
Bailey
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000401:mortality*; D002980:Climate; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D005843:Geography; D006801:Humans; D008274:Magnesium / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D009026:Mortality / Q000639:trends*; D015995:Prevalence; D012621:Seasons; D012737:Sex Factors; D013542:Sweat / Q000737:chemistry*; D013696:Temperature; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
D008274:Magnesium