title: Birth month and longevity: birth month of victims of sudden (SCD, ≤1 h) and rapid (RCD, ≤24 h) cardiac deaths.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  After a publication of a study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA in 2001, we published three studies related to birth month and morbidity of patients that can affect longevity. The aim of this study is to check two groups of cardiac deaths, consisting of more than 50% of cardiovascular mortality in the industrial world, to examine this paradigm.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients suffering rapid cardiac death (RCD) (≤24 h) and sudden cardiac death (SCD) (≤1 h) in Lithuanian Medical Science University hospital, a tertiary 3000-bed facility, in 2000-2010 were studied. In total, 1239 RCDs and 324 SCDs were included in this study. Monthly, quarterly, trimester and half-year comparisons of the patients' birth month population were studied.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A difference in birth month distribution of the study patients was observed. For RCDs (≤24 h), the highest numbers were found for January (11.0%) and May (10.3%), whereas for the SCDs (≤1 h), April (13.3%) and January (10.5%) dominated. The least numbers were in November (SCD, 5.6%; RCD, 6.2%) and December (5.2-6.1%). Those born in the first and second quarter and first trimester were significantly more than those born in the fourth quarter (I/IV, p=0.0023; I/III, p=0.0074; II/IV, p=0.047) or trimester [I/II, p=0.09 (trend); I/III p=0.014; II/III, p=0.079 (trend)]. In another study at the same location (number of newborns n=286,963), significant correlation between monthly newborn number and month of the year was not found. possible environmental effects related to the different monthly birth distributions of the studied group are discussed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Victims of SCD and RCD are unequally distributed according to month of birth. The highest numbers were found for January and March to May. The numbers are higher for the first and second quarter and first trimester in comparison with the months at the end of the year. The lowest numbers of study patients were born in November, December and October. This is in accord with the birth months of American centenarians (100-112 years old) found by colleagues from the University of Chicago. Possible mechanisms for predisposition to SCD and RCD need further elucidation. Our findings support the paradigm linking birth month and longevity.
authors.forename: Eliyahu
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Stoupel
authors.forename: Abdonas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tamoshiunas
authors.forename: Richardas
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Radishauskas
authors.forename: Evgeny
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Abramson
authors.forename: Gailute
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bernotiene
authors.forename: Migle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bacevichiene
mesh_terms: D001719:Birth Certificates; D016757:Death, Sudden, Cardiac / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D004574:Electromagnetic Fields / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008097:Lithuania / Q000453:epidemiology; D008136:Longevity; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009026:Mortality / Q000639:trends; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality*; D012307:Risk Factors; D019445:Solar Activity; D013997:Time Factors