Air Temperature and the Occurrence of Myocardial Infarction in Augsburg, Germany
- 1 September 2009
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health) in Circulation
- Vol. 120 (9), 735-742
- https://doi.org/10.1161/circulationaha.108.815860
Abstract
Background— Air temperature changes have been associated with cardiovascular mortality and morbidity. The objective of this study was to examine in detail the registry-based myocardial infarction (MI) rates and coronary deaths in relation to air temperature in the area of Augsburg, Germany. Methods and Results— Between 1995 and 2004, the Monitoring Trends and Determinants on Cardiovascular Diseases/Cooperative Health Research in the Region of Augsburg (MONICA/KORA) registry recorded 9801 cases of MI and coronary deaths. Over the same period, meteorological parameters and air pollutant concentrations were measured in the study region. Poisson regression analyses adjusting for time trend, relative humidity, season, and calendar effects were used to estimate immediate, delayed, and cumulative temperature effects on the occurrence of MIs. The daily rates of total MI, nonfatal and fatal events, and incident and recurrent events were analyzed. For the total MI cases, a 10°C decrease in 5-day average temperature was associated with a relative risk of 1.10 (95% confidence interval, 1.04 to 1.15). The effect of temperature on the occurrence of nonfatal events showed a delayed pattern, whereas the association with fatal MI was more immediate. No association could be observed for recurrent events. The effects of temperature decreases on total MI cases were more pronounced in years with higher average temperatures and were visible in summer. Conclusions— We observed an inverse relationship between temperature and MI occurrence not only during winter but also during summer. Thus, our results suggest not a pure “cold effect” but an influence of unusual temperature decreases.This publication has 42 references indexed in Scilit:
- Air Temperature and Inflammatory Responses in Myocardial Infarction SurvivorsEpidemiology, 2008
- Has the impact of heat waves on mortality changed in France since the European heat wave of summer 2003? A study of the 2006 heat waveInternational Journal of Epidemiology, 2008
- Temperature, temperature extremes, and mortality: a study of acclimatisation and effect modification in 50 US citiesOccupational and Environmental Medicine, 2007
- Seasonality and Daily Weather Conditions in Relation to Myocardial Infarction and Sudden Cardiac Death in Olmsted County, Minnesota, 1979 to 2002Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 2006
- Weather-Related Changes in 24-Hour Blood Pressure ProfileHypertension, 2006
- Relationships between weather and myocardial infarction: A biometeorological approachInternational Journal of Cardiology, 2005
- Cold periods and coronary events: an analysis of populations worldwideJournal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 2005
- Cold exposure and winter mortality from ischaemic heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, respiratory disease, and all causes in warm and cold regions of EuropeThe Lancet, 1997
- Short term effects of air pollution on health: a European approach using epidemiologic time series data: the APHEA protocol.Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 1996
- Seasons, Temperature and Coronary DiseaseInternational Journal of Epidemiology, 1993