#PAGE_PARAMS# #ADS_HEAD_SCRIPTS# #MICRODATA#

Effects of Sudden Air Temperature and Pressure Changes on Mortality in the Czech Republic


Authors: E. Plavcová 1,2;  J. Kyselý 1
Authors‘ workplace: Ústav fyziky atmosféry AV ČR, Praha 1;  MFF UK, Praha 2
Published in: Epidemiol. Mikrobiol. Imunol. 58, 2009, č. 2, s. 73-83

Overview

We have developed an algorithm for identifying sudden changes in air pressure and temperature over the Czech Republic. Such events were retrieved from the data covering in 1986-2005 and were matched with the daily numbers of all-cause deaths and deaths due to cardiovascular diseases from the national database, separately for the whole population and that aged 70 years and over. Excess daily mortality was determined by calculating deviations of the observed number of deaths from the expected number of deaths for each day in the respective groups. The relative deviation of the mortality the mean was calculated as the ratio of the excess mortality to the expected number of deaths. We used 3-hour air pressure data from 10 meteorological stations and hourly air temperature data from 9 stations representative of the Czech Republic. Pressure changes were evaluated on time scales of 3, 6 and 12 hours, separately for summer and winter time. Temperature changes were evaluated on a 24-hour time scale, separately for summer and winter season. Events characterized by pressure or temperature changes above the critical threshold and recorded within 24 hours at more than 50 % of meteorological stations were retrieved. The critical thresholds were defined separately for each station using quantiles of distributions of air pressure and temperature changes. Relative mortality deviations for days D-2 (2 days before the change) to D+7 (7 days after the change) were averaged over the retrieved events. Statistical significance of the mean relative deviation was tested using the Monte Carlo method. Increased mortality followed large temperature increases and large pressure drops both in summer and winter months. Decreased mortality was observed after large pressure increases and large temperature drops in summer. Mortality variations are usually more pronounced in the population aged 70 years and over, and cardiovascular diseases account for most deaths after sudden temperature changes.

Key words:
Biometeorology – air pressure – air temperature – sudden change – total mortality – mortality due to cardiovascular diseases.


Sources

1. Ballester, F., Corella, D., Perez-Hoyos, S., Saez, M., Hervas, A. Mortality as a function of temperature. A study in Valencia, Spain, 1991-1993. Int J of Epidemiology, 1997, 26, 551-561.

2. Dessai, S. Heat stress and mortality in Lisbon. Part I. model construction and validation. Int J of Biometeorology, 2002, 47, 6-12.

3. Ebi, K. L., Exuzides, K. A., Lau, E., Kelsh, M., Barnston, A. Weather changes associated with hospitalizations for cardiovascular diseases and stroke in California, 1983-1998. Int J of Biometeorology, 2004, 49, 48-58.

4. Garssen, J., Harmsen, C., de Beer, J. The effect of the summer 2003 heat wave on mortality in the Neederlands. Euro Surveil, 2005, 10, 165-168.

5. Heudorf, U., Meyer, C. Heat waves and health – Analysis of the mortality in Frankfurt, Germany, during the heat wave in August 2003. Gesundheitswesen, 2005, 67, 369-374.

6. Hong, Y. C., Rha, J. H., Lee, J. T., Ha, E. H., Kwon, H. J. Ischemic stroke associated with decrease in temperature. Epidemiology, 2003, 14, 473-478.

7. Huynen, M. M. T. E., Martens, P., Schram, D., Weijenberg, M. P., Kunst, A. E. The impact of heat waves and cold spells on mortality rates in the Dutch population. Environ. Healt Perspect, 2001, 119, 463-470.

8. Katsouyanni, K., Pantazopoulou, A., Touloumi, G., Tselepidaki, I. et al. Evidence for interaction between air pollution and high temperature in the causation of excess mortality. Arch Environ Health, 1993, 48, 235-242.

9. Květoň, V. Weather fronts and acute myocardial infarction. Int J of Biometeorology, 1991, 35, 10-17.

10. Kynčl, J., Paget, W.J., Havlíčková, M., Kříž, B. Harmonization of the acute respiratory infection reporting system in the Czech Republic with European community networks. Euro Surveil, 2005, 10, 20-33.

11. Kynčl, J., Procházka, B., Goddard, N.L., Havlíčková, M., Částková, J., Otavová, M., Kříž, B. A study of excess mortality during influenza epidemics in the Czech Republic, 1982-2000. Eur J of Epidemiology, 2005, 20, 365-371.

12. Kyobutungi, C., Grau, A., Stieglbauer, G., Becher, H. Absolute temperature changes and stroke risk: A case-crossover study. European J of Epidemiology, 2005, 20, 693-698.

13. Kyselý, J. Mortality and displaced mortality during heat waves in the Czech Republic. Int J of Biometeorology, 2004, 49, 91-97.

14. Kyselý, J., Kříž, B. Vysoké letní teploty a úmrtnost v ČR v letech 1982-2000. Epidemiol Mikrobiol Imunol, 2003, 52, 105-116.

15. Kyselý, J., Kříž, B. Decreased impacts of the 2003 heat waves on mortality in the Czech Republic: an improved response? Int J of Biometeorology, 2008, 52, 733-45.

16. Le Tertre, A., Legrand, A., Einstein, D. et al. Impacts of the 2003 heatwave on all-cause mortality in 9 French cities. Epidemiology, 2006, 17, 75-79.

17. McGregor, G.R. Winter ischaemic heart disease deaths in Birmingham, United Kingdom: a synoptic climatological analysis. Climate Research, 1999, 13, 17-31.

18. Pirard, P., Vandentorren, S., Pascal, M., Laadi, K. et al. Summary of the mortality impact assessment of the 2003 heat wave in France. Euro Surveil, 2005, 10, 153-156.

19. Plavcová, E. Vliv náhlých změn teploty a tlaku vzduchu na úmrtnost. Praha: Diplomová práce, Matematicko-fyzikální fakulta UK, 2008. 57 stran.

20. Smoyer, K. E., Rainham, D. G. C., Hewko, J.N. Heat-stress-related mortality in five cities in Southern Ontario: 1980-1996. Int J of Biometeorology, 2000, 44, 190-197.

21. Whitman, S., Good, G., Donoghue, E. R., Benbow, N. et al. Mortality in Chicago attributed to the July 1995 heat wave. Amer J Pub Health, 1997, 87, 1515-1518.

Labels
Hygiene and epidemiology Medical virology Clinical microbiology
Topics Journals
Login
Forgotten password

Enter the email address that you registered with. We will send you instructions on how to set a new password.

Login

Don‘t have an account?  Create new account

#ADS_BOTTOM_SCRIPTS#