Relationship of meteorological factors and acute stroke events in Kaunas (Lithuania) in 2000–2010

Abstract

Some researchers have hypothesised that meteorological factors may have an impact on acute cerebrovascular diseases. The aim of this study was to determine an impact of some meteorological factors on occurrence of acute cerebrovascular events in the middle-aged Kaunas population. Kaunas stroke register data were used. Data on meteorological factors for the time period from 2000 to 2010 were obtained from the Lithuanian Hydrometeorological Service Kaunas Meteorological Station. We analysed 4038 cases with stroke. Ischemic strokes composed 80.4% and haemorrhagic strokes-19.6%. According to Poisson regression analysis, significant negative correlation between ischemic, haemorrhagic and all types of stroke and ambient air temperature was found (β coefficient - 0.007, -0.016, -0.009, p < 0.001, respectively). Results of ARIMA showed that ambient temperature of the day of stroke onset was associated with the occurrence of ischemic, haemorrhagic and all types of stroke: when temperature was lower, the risk of stroke was higher (-0.006, -0.003, -0.009, p < 0.001, respectively). Low temperature on the event day and 1 and 2 days before the event was associated with higher incidence of haemorrhagic stroke in women. Low ambient temperature on the event day increased incidence of haemorrhagic stroke in subjects 55-64 years. High wind speed on the event day was associated with higher incidence of ischemic stroke in older subjects. Meteorological factors may have some impact on the risk of acute cerebrovascular events. Health care providers should focus on preventive measures, which can reduce these risks.

Impact of Foehn Wind and Related Environmental Variables on the Incidence of Cardiac Events

“…Contrary to the findings reported by other researchers [14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23], the current study did not confirm effects of environmental factors investigated, i.e., air temperature, atmospheric humidity, speed of wind, pressure and total daily precipitation in the incidence of cardiac events, either on halny days or on days preceding the onset of halny, as well as throughout the whole year in the consecutive months from January 2011 to December 2011. The findings showed no statistically significant correlations between the environmental variables and the number of cardiac events in any of the periods analysed (i.e., days with halny, days preceding halny onset, total days with and preceding halny, other days, all the days combined.)…”

“…Based on a review of the literature it can be concluded that many researchers are investigating the association between wind-related environmental variables, and cardio-or cerebrovascular events, including the impact observed on days preceding onset of such weather conditions [14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23].…”

“…A large body of evidence reported in the literature shows there is an association between windrelated environmental variables and cardiovascular or cerebrovascular events, with impact observed also on the preceding days [14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23]. Boussoussou et al have reported positive significant association between acute cardiovascular diseases and a cold front effect lagged by one day [14].…”

“…Vencloviene et al demonstrated that increased risk of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation occurring at night was linked with wind speed above the median (lag 2-4 days) [21]. Tamasauskiene et al pointed out that a greater risk of ischemic stroke in older patients was associated with high wind speed on the day of the incident [22]. Similarly, Kim et al showed that the odds ratios for wind speed, daily wind speed range, and wind chill for patients with ischemic stroke were slightly greater than in the total sample [23].…”

Risk factors, types and outcomes of arterial ischemic stroke in Polish pediatric patients: a retrospective single-center study

“…Arterial ischemic stroke in our patients appeared most frequently in winter (34%), then au- tumn (23%) and in summer and spring with the same frequency (22%). In adults, low ambient temperature of the day of stroke onset increased the risk of ischemic stroke as well as high-speed wind, especially in older patients [21]. Higher frequency of stroke in winter or autumn may also be linked with the greater frequency of infections, which are common in the colder seasons of the year.…”