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Weather conditions appear to play role in MI incidence
Certain weather conditions, including low air temperature, low atmospheric air pressure, high wind velocity and shorter sunshine duration, were associated with risk for MI, with the strongest association observed for air temperature, according to a study published in JAMA Cardiology.
“To our knowledge, this study not only constitutes the largest of its kind but also the only one investigating a wider spectrum of weather variables to clinical data with electrocardiographic and biomarker-positive MI from a well-known nationwide register,” Moman A. Mohammad, MD, of the department of cardiology, clinical sciences, at Lund University in Sweden, and colleagues wrote. “We performed a number of subgroup, regional, seasonal and sensitivity analyses to complement our primary analysis. Our results not only suggest that weather is independently associated with the incidence of MI but also that the association may differ with regard to season and electrocardiographic subtypes.”
To investigate the role of weather in the onset of MI, researchers conducted a prospective, population-based and nationwide study using daily weather data from the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute along with all MIs that were reported to the Swedish nationwide coronary care unit registry between 1998 and 2013 (n = 274,029; mean age, 72 years; 92,044 with STEMI). Weather point data were merged with each MI on the date of symptom onset.
The primary analysis was air temperature associated with the number of MIs, with secondary analyses including other weather variables.
Researchers found that incidence of MI increased with lower air temperature, lower atmospheric air pressure, higher wind velocity and shorter sun duration.
In addition, minimum air temperature was negatively associated with MI, with each 1-standard deviation increase in temperature (7.4°C) associated with a 2.8% reduction in MI (unadjusted incidence ratio = 0.972; 95% CI, 0.967-0.977).
These results remained consistent in subgroup, regional and seasonal analyses, as well as for patients with non-STEMI or STEMI, according to the researchers.
“This study adds to knowledge on the role of weather as a potential trigger of myocardial infarction,” the researchers concluded. – by Melissa J. Webb
Disclosures: The authors report no relevant financial disclosures.