2021

Author(s): Higuma T, Yoneyama K, Nakai M, Kaihara T, Sumita Y, Watanabe M, Doi S, Miyamoto Y, Yasuda S, Ishibashi Y, Izumo M, Tanabe Y, Harada T, Ogawa H, Akashi YJ

Weather conditions affect the incidence of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). However, little is known on the association of weather temperature and humidity with AMI hospitalizations in a super-aging society. This study sought to examine this association. We included 87,911 consecutive patients with AMI admitted to Japanese acute-care hospitals between April 1, 2012 and March 31, 2015. The primary outcome was the number of AMI hospitalizations per day. Multilevel mixed-effects linear regression models were used to estimate the association of the average temperature and humidity, 1 day before hospital admission, with AMI hospitalizations, after adjusting for weather, hospital, and patient demographics.Lower temperature and humidity were associated with an increased number of AMI hospitalizations (coefficient - 0.500 [- 0.524 to - 0.474] per °C change, p<0.001 and coefficient - 0.012 [- 0.023 to - 0.001] per % change, p=0.039, respectively). The effects of temperature and humidity on AMI hospitalization did not differ by age and sex (all interaction p>0.05), but differed by season. However, higher temperatures in spring (coefficient 0.089 [0.025 to 0.152] per °C change, p=0.010) and higher humidity in autumn (coefficient 0.144 [0.121 to 0.166] per % change, p<0.001) were risk factors for AMI hospitalization. Increased average temperatures and humidity, 1 day before hospitalization, are associated with a decreased number of AMI hospitalizations.