SEASONS, TEMPERATURE AND CORONARY-DISEASE

Using data from a community-based register of heart disease (the WHO MONICA Project) associations between daily temperature, rainfall and other seasonal effects were investigated in relation to fatal coronary events and non-fatal definite myocardial infarctions in an Australian population. Coronary events, both fatal and non-fatal, were 20-40% more likely to occur in winter and spring than at other times of the year. Coronary deaths were more likely to occur on days of low temperature (and to a much lesser extent, on days of high temperature). No differences were found between patterns of sudden and non-sudden deaths (those occurring later after the onset of symptoms) associated with weather conditions. Statistical models allowing simultaneously for longer-term seasonal effects and daily temperature effects suggested that both exist. These results suggest that avoiding temperature stress could lead to reductions in the annual peaks in coronary events.