A study on the physical fitness index, heart rate and blood pressure in different phases of lunar month on male human subjects

Assessment of effects of moon phases on hospital outpatient visits: An observational national study

Objectives

A vast amount of literature has been conducted for investigating the association of different lunar phases with human health; and it has mixed reviews for association and non-association of diseases with lunar phases. This study investigates the existence of any impact of moon phases on humans by exploring the difference in the rate of outpatient visits and type of diseases that prevail in either non-moon or moon phases.

Methods

We retrieved dates of non-moon and moon phases for eight years (1st January 2001-31st December 2008) from the timeanddate.com website for Taiwan. The study cohort consisted of 1 million people from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) followed over eight years (1st January 2001-31st December 2008). We used the two-tailed, paired-t-test to compare the significance of difference among outpatient visits for 1229 moon phase days and 1074 non-moon phase days by using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) codes from NHIRD records.

Results

We found 58 diseases that showed statistical differences in number of outpatient visits in the non-moon and moon phases.

Conclusions

The results of our study identified diseases that have significant variations during different lunar phases (non-moon and moon phases) for outpatient visits in the hospital. In order to fully understand the reality of the pervasive myth of lunar effects on human health, behaviors and diseases, more in-depth research investigations are required for providing comprehensive evidence covering all the factors, such as biological, psychological and environmental aspects.

A Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) Multivariate Analysis of the Association of Vital Parameter Variation With the Lunar Cycle in Patients Hospitalized With COVID-19

INTRODUCTION

Over the last three years, the world has been battling a long-drawn pandemic resulting from the coronavirus outbreak. Despite the safety measures, there have been multiple pandemic waves happening throughout the world. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the fundamental characteristics of COVID-19 transmission and pathogenesis to overcome the threat of the pandemic. This study focused on hospitalized COVID-19 patients because of their high mortality rate, which indicates the need to improve inpatient management.

METHODS

Based on the cyclic nature of the pandemic, observations were made to examine the influence of lunar phases on six vital parameters of COVID-19 patients. A multivariate analysis was carried out to study the interactions of lunar phase pairwise on COVID-19 statuses and COVID-19 status pairwise on lunar phases by treating six vital parameters as independent entities.

RESULTS

The results of multivariate analysis on the data of 215,220 vital values showed that lunar phases are associated with trends in variations in the vital parameters of COVID-19-infected patients.

CONCLUSION

In summary, our results show that patients infected with COVID-19 appear to be more susceptible to lunar influence compared to non-COVID-19 patients. Furthermore, this study shows a vital parameter destabilization window (DSW) that can help identify which hospitalized COVID-19 patients can recover. Our pilot study forms the basis for future studies to eventually establish the incorporation of variation of vital signs with the lunar cycle into the standard of care for COVID-19 patients.

The effect of the lunar cycle on migraine: preliminary findings from a retrospective study

AIM

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between the lunar cycle and attacks observed in patients diagnosed with migraine and under follow-up in our pediatric neurology clinic.

METHODS

Cases diagnosed with migraine and under follow-up at the Balıkesir University Medical Faculty Pediatric Neurology Clinic, Turkey, undergoing attacks between 01.09.2019 and 01.09.2021, and whose attacks were recorded were included in the study. Patients' migraine attacks were investigated retrospectively, and the stage of the lunar cycle at which they occurred, based on the lunar calendar, was determined.

RESULTS

The mean age of the patients in the study was 13.39 ± 2.64 (8-17) years. Female gender was observed in the majority of attacks in all lunar cycles, and was most common in the first quarter. Headache was most common in the frontal region during the first quarter and full moon, and auras were also most frequent in the first quarter. Stress and exercise were the most frequent migraine-triggering factors in the first and third quarters, and in the full moon. Migraine attacks were shortest in duration in the full moon, and longest in the first quarter. The frequency of attacks (per week) was highest in the new moon and third quarter, and lowest in the full moon.

CONCLUSIONS

This study investigated the relationship between migraine attack characteristics in children and the lunar cycle. It represents the first such investigation of the association between the lunar cycle and pediatric migraine attacks.

Once after a full moon: acute type A aortic dissection and lunar phases

OBJECTIVES

Acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) is a rare but severe condition, routinely treated with emergent cardiac surgery. Many surgeons have the notion that patients with ATAAD tend to come in clusters, but no studies have examined these observations. This investigation was undertaken to study the potential association between the lunar cycle and the incidence of ATAAD.

METHODS

We collected information on 2995 patients who underwent ATAAD surgery at centres from the Nordic Consortium for Acute Type A Aortic Dissection collaboration. We cross-referenced the time of surgery with lunar phase using a case-crossover design with 2 different definitions of full moon (>99% illumination and the 7-day full moon period).

RESULTS

The period when the moon was illuminated the most (99% definition) did not show any significant increase in incidence for ATAAD surgery. However, when the full moon period was compared with all other moon phases, it yielded a relative risk of 1.08 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.00-1.17, P = 0.057] and, compared to waxing moon, only the relative risk was 1.11 (95% CI 1.01-1.23, P = 0.027). The peak incidence came 4-6 days after the moon was fully illuminated.

CONCLUSIONS

This study found an overrepresentation of surgery for ATAAD during the full moon phase. The explanation for this is not known, but we speculate that sleep deprivation during full moon leads to a temporary increase in blood pressure, which in turn could trigger rupture of the aortic wall. While this finding is interesting, it needs to be corroborated and the clinical implications are debateable.

Associations between meteorological variation and rupture of intracranial aneurysm in Fujian, China: A 5-year multicenter study

OBJECTIVE

By exploring the exposure-response relationships between meteorological factors and rupture of intracranial aneurysm (IA) to reveal the influence of meteorological variation on IA rupture under the specific climate in Fujian, China.

METHOD

7515 cases of IA rupture from several municipal medical institutions in Fujian Province as well as local meteorological data during the same period were collected from 2013 to 2017. Poisson regression and Spearman correlation analysis were applied to explore the distribution characteristics of IA rupture and how it is associated with meteorological parameters. Poisson generalized additive model was established to further analyze the exposure-response relationships between meteorological factors and IA rupture, and its hysteresis effects.

RESULT

The IA rupture exhibited a negative correlation with temperature (r_s = -0.323, 95% CI: -0.539 ~ -0.068) and a positive correlation with atmospheric pressure (r_s = 0.397, 95% CI: 0.152-0.597) or pressure difference (r_s = 0.296, 95% CI: 0.038-0.517), 21.05 ℃ and 1000.14 hPa were the risk thresholds for the onset ascribed to variation in temperature and atmospheric pressure, respectively. Temperature and atmospheric pressure also exerted hysteresis effects on IA rupture. Cold will increase the rupture risk in the subsequent 1-3 days, and high pressure will raise the morbidity in the next 1-2 days. Besides, drastic variations in temperature and atmospheric pressure were also associated with the higher risk of IA rupture in the next 2 days and 1 day, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Temperature and atmospheric pressure have a negative and positive correlation with IA rupture in Fujian, China, respectively. Variation in temperature and atmospheric pressure exert different degrees of hysteresis effects on IA rupture.

Does lunar cycle affect biological parameters in young healthy men?

This study aimed to assess the effects of the lunar cycle on diurnal variation of biological, i.e, hormonal, biochemical, and hematological, profiles of diurnally active healthy men. Blood samples of 20 males were collected on four occasions [full moon (FM) and new moon (NM), in the morning (06:00-07:00 h) and evening (19:00-20:00 h)]. The results showed that melatonin and testosterone levels and neutrophils count were lower during the FM as compared to the NM in the morning (p < .001; d = 4.13, p < .001; d = 3.84, p < .01; d = 0.77, respectively) and evening (p < .001; d = 6.36, p < .001; d = 4.03, p < .05; d = 1.07, respectively) samples. However, cortisol level was higher during the FM compared to the NM, in the morning (p < .001; d = 0.74) and evening (p < .001; d = 3.54). Hemoglobinemia was higher only in the evening during the FM compared to the evening of the NM (p < .01; d = 1.22). In summary, this study confirmed that lunar cycle can affect human biological parameters independently of time of day.

Effects of lunar cycle on fasting plasma glucose, heart rate and blood pressure in type 2 diabetic patients

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of lunar phases on fasting plasma glucose, heart rate, and blood pressure in type 2 diabetic patients. The present cross-sectional study was carried out during four phases, i.e., full moon (FM), first quarter (FQ), new moon (NM), and third quarter (TQ), of the lunar month. The study was conducted on 42 randomly selected patients (22 males and 20 females) from the Diabetes Clinic of Calcutta Medical College. Fasting plasma glucose (FPG) of each subject was determined and heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP) were measured at rest and during static exercise conditions, i.e., performance of a standard handgrip dynamometer test. The FPG level during the NM and FM was significantly higher (p < .001) than during the TQ and FQ for both males and females, respectively. The mean HR during static exercise during the NM and FM for both males and females was significantly higher than that during the FQ (p < .05) and TQ (p < .01). It appears from the present study that lunar phases may affect fasting plasma glucose level and cardiovascular functions of aged type 2 diabetic patients both at rest and during exercise.

Sex differences in the effects of the moon on ischemic stroke incidence: new findings from Beijing, China

Stroke is a major cause of death and disability in China, and no therapies have proven effective to prevent it. Popular belief holds that the lunar cycle affects human physiology, behavior, and health. The aim of our study is to determine whether the lunar cycle impacts the incidence of stroke subtypes [intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), transient ischemic attack (TIA) and ischemic stroke (IS)]. We retrospectively extracted the discharge registry data of all patients with first-ever acute stroke hospitalized in the affiliated hospital of Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine during 2002-2015. The onset times of stroke were assigned to four primary lunar phases based on NASA definitions. Chi-square tests and multiple logistic regression analyses were used to estimate the association between the lunar cycle and stroke incidence with adjustment for age, sex and season. A total of 5,965 patients with stroke (4,909 admissions for ischemic stroke IS, 754 admissions for ICH, and 302 admissions for TIA) were evaluated in our study. Subgroup analysis indicated that the admission rates of different sexes for IS tended to have opposite variation during the four moon phases. More female patients were admitted during the new moon than in the first and third quarters, while fewer male patients were admitted during the new moon than in the first and third quarters (χ2 = 15.589, P = .001). Multiple logistic regression analyses revealed that men were more likely to be admitted for IS in the first quarter than during the new moon (odds ratio [OR] = 1.252, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.076-1.456) (P = .004), and a corresponding trend was also identified for the third quarter (OR = 1.235, 95% CI = 1.062-1.437) (P = .006). No significant gender differences were shown in ICH or TIA. No sex difference is obvious during the full moon. Moon phases seem to affect both genders, but in very different ways. It seems that the new moon is a protective factor for male ischemic stroke patients and a risk factor for female ones. Woman tends to be more vulnerable than ever at the new moon, so deserves more attention and care. The mechanisms underlying this observation are worth studying further.

Meteorological Variation Is a Predisposing Factor for Aneurismal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: A 5-Year Multicenter Study in Fuzhou, China

OBJECTIVE

The climatic characteristics of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) have been reported, but consensus has not yet been reached. It is of great significance to elucidate the relationships between meteorological variation and aSAH in regions with specific climate patterns. We analyzed the occurrence of aSAH in the capital city of Fujian Province, China, through a multicenter, 5-year study, and aimed to reveal the meteorological influences on aSAH in the coastal city of eastern Fujian under the subtropical marine monsoon condition.

METHODS

A total of 2555 consecutive patients with aSAH in Fuzhou were collected using specialized stroke admission database from January 2013 to December 2017. Meteorological parameters including temperature, atmospheric pressure, and humidity were obtained from China Surface Meteorological Station during the same period. Poisson regression was used to explore the association between meteorological parameters and aSAH to calculate the incidence rate ratios (IRRs) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Generalized additive model analysis further revealed the nonlinear relationships between weather and aSAH.

RESULTS

Daily minimum temperature (IRR 0.976, 95% CI 0.958-0.996) and maximum pressure (IRR 1.022, 95% CI 1.001-1.042) were independently correlated with the onset of aSAH. Low temperature (below 16°C) and excessive atmospheric pressure (above 1008 hPa) increased the risk of aSAH. In addition, March in spring and December in winter were the 2 ictus peaks in Fuzhou throughout the year.

CONCLUSIONS

Cold and excessive atmospheric pressure are triggers for the occurrence of aSAH; March in spring and December in winter are the predominant onset periods in Fuzhou.

Al-hijamah (wet cupping therapy of prophetic medicine) significantly and safely reduces iron overload and oxidative stress in thalassemic children: a novel pilot study

Background

Thalassemia is a major health problem due to iron overload, iron deposition and oxidative stress-induced tissue damage. Here, we introduce Al-hijamah (a minor surgical excretory procedure) as a novel percutaneous iron excretion therapy. Al-hijamah is a wet cupping therapy of prophetic medicine, and prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, strongly recommended Al-hijamah, saying: “The best of your treatment is Al-hijamah”.

Aim of the study

Our study aimed at investigating the safety, iron chelation, pharmacological potentiation and oxidant clearance effects exerted by Al-hijamah to thalassemic children.

Patients and methods

Ethical committee’s approval and patients’ written agreement consents were obtained. We treated 20 thalassemic children (15 males and five females aged 9.07±4.26 years) with iron chelation therapy (ICT) plus Al-hijamah (using sterile disposable sets and in a complete aseptic environment) vs a control group treated with ICT only. This clinical trial was registered in the ClinicalTrial.gov registry under the name “Study of the Therapeutic Benefits of Al-hijamah in Children with Beta Thalassemia Major” (identifier no NCT 02761395) on 30 January 2016.

Results

Al-hijamah was quite simple, safe, effective, tolerable (with no side effects) and time-saving procedure (30–60 minutes). A single session of Al-hijamah significantly reduced iron overload (P<0.001) in all thalassemic children. Al-hijamah significantly decreased serum ferritin by 25.22% (from 3,778.350±551.633 ng/mL to 2,825.300±558.94 ng/mL), significantly decreased oxidative stress by 68.69% (P<0.05; serum malondialdehyde dropped from 42.155±12.42 to 13.195±0.68 nmol/L), exerted pharmacological potentiation to ICT and significantly increased total antioxidant capacity (P<0.001) by 260.95% (from 13.195±0.68 nmol/L to 42.86±12.40 nmol/L through excreting reactive oxygen species). Moreover, therapeutic indices for evaluating Al-hijamah were promising.

Conclusion

Al-hijamah is a novel, safe, effective percutaneous iron excretion therapy through percutaneous iron excretion with minimal blood loss in agreement with the evidence-based Taibah mechanism. Al-hijamah is an effective outpatient hematological procedure that is safer than many pediatric procedures such as catheterization, hemofiltration and dialysis. Increasing the number of cups during Al-hijamah session or the number of sessions reduces iron overload more strongly. Medical practice of Al-hijamah is strongly recommended in hospitals.

No association of moon phase with stroke occurrence

Stroke occurrence shows strong correlations with sleep disorders and even subtle sleep disturbances have been shown to affect ischemic stroke (IS) occurrence. Chronobiology also exerts effects, like the morning surge in IS occurrence. Lunar cycles have also been shown to affect sleep and other physiological processes, but studies on moon phases and its possible association with occurrence of stroke are rare and nonconclusive. Therefore, we studied the effects of moon phases on stroke hospitalizations and in-hospital mortality nationwide in Finland in 2004-2014. All patients aged ≥18 years with IS or intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) as primary discharge diagnosis were included. Daily number of admissions was treated as a response variable while moon phase, year and astronomical season were independent variables in Poisson regression modeling. We found no association between moon phases and stroke occurrence. The overall occurrence rates did not vary between different moon phases for IS or ICH (p = 0.61 or higher). There were no differences between moon phases in daily admission rates among men, women, young and old patients for any of the stroke subtypes. There was no difference in in-hospital mortality with regard to moon phase for IS or ICH overall (p = 0.19 or higher), nor in subgroup analyses. There were no significant interactions between moon phase and astronomical season for stroke occurrence or in-hospital mortality. To conclude, in this over a decade-long nationwide study including a total of 46 million person years of follow-up, we found no association between moon phases and occurrence or in-hospital mortality rates of IS or intracerebral hemorrhage.

Changing Efficacy of Wet Cupping Therapy in Migraine with Lunar Phase: A Self-Controlled Interventional Study

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of blood-letting with wet cupping therapy (WCT) in migraine treatment and to determine whether there was any difference according to the phase of the moon when the treatment was applied. MATERIAL AND METHODS This self-controlled study was conducted in Karabuk between 2014 and 2016. Patients who were diagnosed with migraine were enrolled in the study. Migraine disability assessment questionnaire (MIDAS), demographic characteristics, migraine attack frequency and duration, and family history was used to assess the severity of headache. WCT was applied in 3 sessions and the questionnaire was administered before and 3 months after the final WCT session. Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used in pre-and posttreatment measurements, and the Chi-square test was used to check independence in two-way categorical tables. RESULTS A total of 85 patients were included. The reduction in MIDAS scores and number of migraine attacks was significantly greater in the WCT applications made in the first half of the month compared to those in the second half of the month. Although the reduction in visual analog scale (VAS) scores was greater in the second half of the month, it was also significant in the applications made in the first half of the month. CONCLUSIONS WCT was found to be an effective treatment of migraine. The effect on MIDAS, VAS, and the number of attacks was significantly better when the application was made in the second half of the month compared to those made in the first half.

Effects of wet-cupping on blood pressure in hypertensive patients: a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Although cupping remains a popular treatment modality worldwide, its efficacy for most diseases, including hypertension, has not been scientifically evaluated.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to determine the efficacy of wet-cupping for high blood pressure, and the incidence of the procedure's side effects in the intervention group.

DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS AND INTERVENTIONS

This is a randomized controlled trial conducted in the General Practice Department at King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, between May 2013 and February 2014. There were two groups (40 participants each): intervention group undergoing wet-cupping (hijama) in addition to conventional hypertension treatment, and a control group undergoing only conventional hypertension treatment. Three wet-cupping sessions were performed every other day.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE

The mean systolic and diastolic blood pressures were measured using a validated automatic sphygmomanometer. The follow-up period was 8 weeks.

RESULTS

Wet-cupping provided an immediate reduction of systolic blood pressure. After 4 weeks of follow-up, the mean systolic blood pressure in the intervention group was 8.4 mmHg less than in the control group (P=0.046). After 8 weeks, there were no significant differences in blood pressures between the intervention and control groups. In this study, wet-cupping did not result in any serious side effects.

CONCLUSION

Wet-cupping therapy is effective for reducing systolic blood pressure in hypertensive patients for up to 4 weeks, without serious side effects. Wet-cupping should be considered as a complementary hypertension treatment, and further studies are needed.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT01987583.

The Counterbalance of Skin Metabolism on Orbits and Diseases

Human organ functions are regulated by the nervous system. When human cells receive a message, this message is transmitted to the nervous system through a series of signal transmission processes. Skin conditions that occur after applying skin cream are closely related to signal transmission and nervous regulation. We determined the connection between signal regulation and natural rhythmic operations. The diurnal variations resulting from the earth’s rotation and indicate the relative relationships between the sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nerve system. A spectrum was developed to assess neural transmission conditions by using skin signals which from Fourier transformation of the waves and established the association between the spectrum and diseases. The results could explain the relationships between the neurological illnesses and established spectrum. The objective was to promote the use of this spectrum as a new tool for conducting the nervous system tests in the future.