The effect of solar-geomagnetic activity during and after admission on survival in patients with acute coronary syndromes

Correlations between geomagnetic field and global occurrence of cardiovascular diseases: evidence from 204 territories in different latitude

BACKGROUND

The correlation between stable geomagnetic fields and unstable geomagnetic activities with mortality, incidence, and prevalence of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remains ambiguous.

METHOD

To investigate the correlations between geomagnetic field (GMF) intensity and geomagnetic disturbance (GMD) and CVDs events in global, long-period scale, global and 204 countries and territories were included on the base of 2019 Global Burden of Disease study (GBD 2019). Data of GMF intensity, GMD frequency, CVDs events, weather and health economic indicators from 1996 to 2019 of included locations were collected. Linear regression and panel data modelling were conducted to identify the correlations between GMF intensity and CVDs events, multi-factor panel data analysis was also generated to adjust the effect of confounding factors.

RESULTS

For the average data during 1996-2019, linear regression model revealed consistent positive correlations between total GMF (tGMF) intensity and mortality of total CVDs [coef = 0.009, (0.006,0.011 95%CI)], whereas negative correlations were found between horizonal GMF (hGMF) intensity and total CVD mortality [coef = -0.010 (-0.013, -0.007 95%CI)]. When considering the time trend, panel data analysis still demonstrated positive correlation between tGMF and total CVDs mortality [coef = 0.009, (0.008,0.009 95%CI)]. Concurrently, the hGMF negatively correlated with total CVDs mortality [coef = -0.008, (-0.009, -0.007 95%CI)]. When the panel models were adjusted for confounding factors, no reverse of correlation tendency was found between tGMF, hGMF and CVDs events. In high-income territories, positive correlation was found between geomagnetic storm (GMS) frequency and mortality of total CVDs [coef = 14.007,(2.785, 25.229 95%CI)], however, this positive trend faded away gradually with the latitude decreasing from polar to equator.

CONCLUSIONS

Stable and long-term horizontal component of GMF may be beneficial to cardiac health. Unstable and short-term GMF called GMD could be a hazard to cardiac health. Our results suggest the importance of regular GMF in maintaining cardio-health state and the adverse impacts of GMD on cardiac health.

Geomagnetic disturbances reduce heart rate variability in the Normative Aging Study

BACKGROUND

Solar and geomagnetic activity (GA) have been linked to increased cardiovascular (CVD) events. We hypothesize that heart rate variability (HRV) may be the biological mechanism between increased CVD risk and intense geomagnetic disturbances (GMD).

METHODS

To evaluate the impact of GA and intense GMD on HRV in 809 elderly men [age mean 74.5 (SD = 6.8)] enrolled in the Normative Aging Study (Greater Boston Area), we performed repeated-measures using mixed-effects regression models. We evaluated two HRV outcomes: the square root of the mean squared differences of successive normal-to-normal intervals (r-MSSD) and the standard deviation of normal-to-normal heartbeat intervals (SDNN) in milliseconds (ms). We also compared the associations between Kp and HRV in patients with and without comorbidities such as diabetes and coronary heart diseases (CHD). We used data on global planetary K-Index (Kp) from middle latitudes as a GA and GMD (>75th Kp) parameters from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency's Space Weather Prediction Center.

RESULTS

We found a near immediate effect of continuous and higher Kp on reduced HRV for exposures up to 24 h prior to electrocardiogram recording. A 75th percentile increase in 15-hour Kp prior the examination was associated with a -14.7 ms change in r-MSSD (95 CI: -23.1, -6.3, p-value = 0.0007) and a -8.2 ms change in SDNN (95 CI: -13.9, -2.5, p-value = 0.006). The associations remained similar after adjusting the models for air pollutants over the exposure window prior to the event. In periods of intense GMD, the associations were stronger in patients with CHD and non-diabetes.

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first study to demonstrate the potential adverse effects of geomagnetic activity on reduced heart rate variability in a large epidemiologic cohort over an extended period, which may have important clinical implications among different populations.

Effects of the geomagnetic field time-varying components compensation as evidenced by heart rate variability of healthy males

Evolutionarily, a human organism is adapted to the natural geomagnetic environment and its slight alterations. However, during geomagnetic storms (GMSs), the strength of the geomagnetic field (GMF) sharply increased hundreds of times and can pose a serious threat to people. We examine the effects of controlled compensation in the time-varying components of the GMF, using a specially created experimental setup with electrically shielding solutions, providing an electromagnetically quiet environment. The measurement of heart rate variability (HRV) on 25 healthy young male volunteers was carried out in the laboratory using the experimental setup at different levels of outdoor geomagnetic activity (GMA). The geomagnetic K-index was used to characterize the magnitude of GMSs; volunteers were tested during quiet magnetic days (K = 1-3), days with K = 4, and days with GMSs (K ≥ 5) in the period of solar cycle maximum. During quiet magnetic days, the comparison between HRV baseline values with values measured under GMF time-varying components compensation mode (CM) did not reveal any changes. On days with K = 4 some HRV indices shifted from their initial values, but it was statistically not significant. However, on days with GMSs statistically significant changes in SDNN* (p = 0.033) and LF* (p = 0.011) indices of HRV were observed in the GMS CM compared to their baseline values. The experiments showed that GMSs cause a sensitive reaction of the heart rate regulatory mechanism, the effect of which can be canceled in the GMS CM. The efficiency of the used technology is supported by the results of this study. * SDNN (Standard Deviation Normal to Normal R-R of cardiointervals), LF (Low frequency spectral band of cardiointervals).

The associations of geomagnetic storms, fast solar wind, and stream interaction regions with cardiovascular characteristic in patients with acute coronary syndrome

It is shown the statistical associations between space weather pattern and humans' cardiovascular system. We investigated the association between space weather events and cardiovascular characteristics of 4076 randomly selected patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) who were admitted for inpatient treatment in Kaunas city, Lithuania during 2000-2005. We hypothesized that days of the space weather events, 1-3 days after, and the period between two events, named as intersection days (1-3 days after the event, which coincided with 1-3 days before the event), might be associated with patients' cardiovascular characteristics. The multivariate logistic regression was applied, and the patients' risk was evaluated by odds ratio (OR), adjusting for age, sex, smoking status, the day of the week, and seasonality. During the intersection days of geomagnetic storms (GS), the risk of ACS increases in obese patients (OR=1.72, p = 0.008). The risk of ventricular fibrillation during admission was associated with stream interaction region (SIR) with a lag of 0-3 days (OR=1.44, p = 0.049) The risk of ACS in patients with chronic atrial fibrillation was associated with fast solar wind (FSW) (≥600 km/s) (lag 0-3 days, OR=1.39, p = 0.030) and with days of solar proton event (lag 0-3) going in conjunction with SIR (lag 0-3) (OR=2.06, p = 0.021). During days which were not assigned as GS with a lag of (-3 to 3) days, FSW (lag 0-3) was associated with the risk of ACS in patients with renal disease (OR=1.71, p = 0.008) and days of SIR - with the risk in patients with pulmonary disease (OR=1.53, p = 0.021). A SIR event, days between two space weather events, and FSW without GS may be associated with a risk to human health.

Geomagnetic disturbances driven by solar activity enhance total and cardiovascular mortality risk in 263 U.S. cities

BACKGROUND

Short-term geomagnetic disturbances (GMD) driven by the quasi-periodic 11-year cycle of solar activity have been linked to a broad range of adverse health effects, including cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and total deaths. We conducted a large epidemiological study in 263 U.S. cities to assess the effects of GMD on daily deaths of total, CVD, myocardial infarction (MI), and stroke.

METHODS

We employed a two-step meta-analysis approach, in which we estimated city-specific and season-stratified mortality risk associated with a GMD parameter (Kp index) in 263 U.S. cities. In addition, sensitivity analysis was performed to assess whether effect modification of particulate matter (PM2.5) in the prior day changed Kp index effects on daily deaths after adjusting for confounders.

RESULTS

We found significant association between daily GMD and total, CVD, and MI deaths. The effects were even stronger when we adjusted the models for 24-h PM2.5 for different seasons. For example, in the winter and fall one standard deviation of z-score Kp index increase was associated with a 0.13 and 0.31% increase in total deaths, respectively (Winter: p = 0.01, 95% CI: 0.02 to 0.24; Fall: p = 0.00001; 95% CI: 0.23 to 0.4), without adjusting for PM2.5. The effects of GMD on total deaths were also observed in spring and summer in the models without PM2.5 (p = 0.00001). When the models were adjusted for PM2.5 the total deaths increased 0.47% in winter (p = 0.00001, 95% CI: 0.3 to 0.65) and by 0.23% in fall (p = 0.001, 95% CI: 0.09 to 0.37). The effects of GMD were also significant associated with MI deaths and CVD. No positive significant association were found between Kp and stroke. The GMD effects on deaths were higher than for 24 h-PM2.5 alone, especially in spring and fall.

CONCLUSION

Our results suggest that GMD is associated with total, CVD and MI deaths in 263 U. S cities. Increased mortality in the general population during GMD should be further investigated to determine whether those human physiological dynamics driven by variations in solar activity can be related to daily clinical cardiovascular observations.

Associations of short-term exposure to ambient air pollutants with emergency ambulance calls for the exacerbation of essential arterial hypertension

We investigated the association between daily emergency ambulance calls (EAC) for elevated blood pressure that occurred during the time intervals of 8:00-13:59, 14:00-21:59, and 22:00-7:59, and exposure to CO, PM₁₀, and ozone. We used Poisson regression to explore the association between the risk of EAC and short-term variation of pollutants, adjusting for seasonality and weather variables. Before noon, the risk was associated with an interquartile range (IQR) (7.9 μg/m³) increase in PM₁₀ at lag 2-4 days below the median (RR = 1.08, p = 0.031) and with an IQR (0.146 mg/m³) increase in CO at lag 6-7 below the median (RR = 1.05, p = 0.028). During 14:00-21:59, the risk was associated with an IQR (18.8 μg/m³) increase in PM₁₀ on the previous day below the median (RR = 1.04, p = 0.031). At night, EAC were negatively affected by lower O₃ (lag 0-2) below the median (per IQR decrease RR = 1.10, p = 0.018) and a higher PM₁₀ at lag 0-1 above the median for the elderly (RR = 1.07, p = 0.030).

Associations of morbidity and mortality from coronary heart disease with heliogeophysical factors

The aim of this study was to evaluate the associations among morbidity of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and mortality from ischemic heart disease (IHD) with heliogeophysical factors among the Kaunas population. The study population was stratified into three age categories: 25-54, 55-64, and ≥65 years. In this study, solar flares (SF), solar proton fluences (SPF), and geomagnetic activity (GMA) were employed as heliogeophysical factors and used Poisson regression and two methods of time series modeling (lag and lead). Influence of GMA in different age and sex category is uneven. The mean number of AMI events per day was greatest (23 %) among men aged 25-54 years on the third day and the same sex aged 55-64 years-increased 10 % 2 days before when the GMA intensity was A+S. Both for men and women aged ≥65 years, the highest increase in the mean number of deaths from IHD events per day was observed on the second day when the GMA intensity was A+S-51 and 34 %, respectively. Evaluating the impact of SF of 10(-5) ≤ SF < 10(-4) W/m(2) (M+X) intensity, the mean number of AMI events per day was greatest for 55-64-year-old women and men on the same and second days. Such SF were associated with a 13 and 20 % increase, respectively. Evaluating the impact of large fluence SPF, it was determined that the increase in the mean number of AMI events per day among 25-54-year-old men was greatest (30 %) 1 day, and death from IHD (54 %) was observed among women aged ≥65 years 2 days before the energy of the SPF has increased.