Impact of Severe Earthquake on the Occurrence of Acute Coronary Syndrome and Stroke in a Rural Area of Japan Experience From the Noto Peninsula Earthquake

Occurrence of Cardiovascular Events After the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Disaster

“…[4][5][6][11][12][13][14][21][22][23][24][25] After the Northridge earthquake in California, USA, in 1994, the occurrence of AMI increased by 35% in the week after the earthquake compared with the week before. However, there was no increase in deaths due to other cardiac causes such as cardiomyopathy, hypertensive heart disease, or valvular disease, and there were no increases in stroke or noncardiovascular events.…”

“…23) In the 2007 Noto Peninsula earthquake in Japan, it was reported that a significantly higher number of patients were hospitalized with ACS and stroke during the 5 weeks after the earthquake, compared with the same 5-week period in the previous 3 years. 24) From the results of these studies, it is generally believed that a correlation between a major natural disaster and the risk of cardiovascular events is plausible. However, Brown, et al reported that no detectable increase in the number of patients with AMI and CHF was observed after the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake in California.…”

“…[4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13] Although, in general, it is believed that the incidences of cardiovascular events like acute coronary syndrome (ACS), congestive heart failure (CHF), and stroke increased after an earthquake, the reports are still conflicting. Dobson, et al reviewed data from hospitals in the area of the 1989 Newcastle, Australia earthquake and reported that the relative risk for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) after the earthquake was not statistically different.…”

Effect of the Great East Japan Earthquake on Cardiovascular Diseases

“…3- 8 The Earthquake forced many people in the Miyagi prefecture to take shelter and/or to live without daily necessities, services, and medicines. Disaster situations can increase the occurrence of CVDs through physical and mental stresses.…”

Cardiovascular Disease Caused by Earthquake-Induced Stress

“…9 In this issue of the Journal, Tsuchida et al address the impact of severe earthquakes on the occurrence of ACS and stroke associated with the Noto peninsula earthquake in Japan. 10 They demonstrate that severe earthquakes result in an increased incidence of acute ACS and cerebral hemorrhage (CH), although the effects of other environmental factors should be further analyzed. Several potential weaknesses and limitations are associated with the present study, the most serious of which is that the contribution of environmental changes, such as medication, diet, water and sleep status, cannot be ruled out.…”