No association between temperature and deaths from cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases during the cold season in Astana, Kazakhstan – the second coldest capital in the world

Abstract

BackgroundSeveral European and North American studies have reported associations between cold temperatures and mortality from diseases of the circulatory system. However, the effects of cold vary between the settings warranting further research in other parts of the world.ObjectivesTo study associations between temperature and mortality from selected diseases of circulatory system in Astana, Kazakhstan – the second coldest capital in the world.MethodsDaily counts of deaths from hypertensive diseases (ICD-10 codes: I10–I15), ischemic heart disease (I20–I25) and cerebrovascular diseases (I60–I69) among adults 18 years and older in Astana, Kazakhstan, during cold periods (October–March) in 2000–2001 and 2006–2010 were collected from the City Registry Office. Associations between mortality and mean apparent temperature and minimum apparent temperature (average for lags 0–15) were studied using Poisson regression controlling for barometric pressure (average for lags 0–3), wind speed and effects of month, year, weekends and holidays. Analyses were repeated using mean and minimum temperatures.ResultsOverall, there were 320, 4468 and 2364 deaths from hypertensive disorders, ischemic heart disease and cerebrovascular diseases, respectively. No significant associations between either mean, mean apparent, minimum or minimum apparent temperatures were found for any of the studied outcomes.ConclusionsContrary to the European findings, we did not find inverse associations between apparent temperatures and mortality from cardiovascular or cerebrovascular causes. Factors behind the lack of association may be similar to those in urban settings in Siberia, that is, centrally heated houses and a culture of wearing large volumes of winter clothes outdoors. Further research on the sensitivity of the population in Kazakhstan to climatic factors and its adaptive capacity is warranted.

Ambient temperature and cardiovascular mortality: a systematic review and meta-analysis

“…This result is consistent with other investigations that revealed cold weather as responsible for the most part of the temperature-related CVD mortality ( Goggins et al, 2013 ; Xie et al, 2012 ; Yang et al, 2015c ). In contrast to our findings, Grjibovski et al (2012) in a study in Astana, Kazakhstan- the second coldest capital in the world between 2000–2001 and 2006–2010, didn’t find any significant associations between ambient temperatures and mortality of hypertensive diseases (ICD-10 codes: I10–I15), ischemic heart disease (I20–I25) and CVDs (I60–I69). The inconsistency between the findings may be due to differences in geographical location of studies and weather conditions.…”

Climate Change Effects on Heat- and Cold-Related Mortality in the Netherlands: A Scenario-Based Integrated Environmental Health Impact Assessment

“…Additionally, an interesting question to ask is how the sensitivity to cold will change in the Netherlands, as winters are anticipated to become milder. A study by Grjibovski et al [ 65 ] found no significant association between temperature and cardiovascular mortality in Astana, the second coldest capital in the world; they concluded that people living in such cold climates were just better adapted to cold (e.g., culture of wearing large volumes of winter clothes outdoors) than populations living in other regions. McMichael et al [ 20 ] found that sensitivity to cold tended to be higher in warmer cities such a Bangkok compared to colder cities like Bucharest, although the factors contributing to this difference could not be explained.…”

Effects of Extreme Temperatures on Cause-Specific Cardiovascular Mortality in China

“…Furthermore, the association between cause-specific cardiovascular mortality and ambient temperature in different areas still remains unclear. Only a few studies have examined the susceptibility of cause-specific cardiovascular mortality related to extreme temperatures [ 5 , 19 , 20 , 21 ]. Moreover, their results are inconsistent [ 5 , 21 ].…”

“…Only a few studies have examined the susceptibility of cause-specific cardiovascular mortality related to extreme temperatures [ 5 , 19 , 20 , 21 ]. Moreover, their results are inconsistent [ 5 , 21 ]. In addition, even in the same country, the impact of extreme temperatures differed by regional climatic types [ 22 ].…”