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Gender differences in seasonality of acute myocardial infarction admissions and mortality in a population-based study
  1. V Grecha,
  2. O Aquilinab,
  3. J Pacec
  1. aPaediatric Department, St Luke's Hospital, Guardamangia, Malta, bCardiology Department, St Luke's Hospital, cDepartment of Health Information, Guardamangia, Malta
  1. Dr Grech (victor.e.grech@ magnet.mt)

https://doi.org/10.1136/jech.55.2.147

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    Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) causes significant morbidity and mortality, and accounts for a substantial proportion of healthcare appropriation. Several studies have shown a seasonal variation in onset and mortality from AMI. Such variations are important not only for epidemiological purposes, but also for efficient allocation of healthcare resources.

    Methods

    We retrospectively analysed seasonal variation for all hospital admissions (and mortality thereof) with AMI in Malta for the period 1994–1998. We also correlated AMI admission and mortality with ambient temperatures. The catchment area for this study was Malta, an island in the centre of the Mediterranean (population 470 000), with one regional hospital (St Luke's). Potential limitations in this study were minimal as all deaths without a known cause must, by law, undergo postmortem examination. Biases, if any, in diagnosis reporting, timing of AMI events and quality of clinical records, should be the same for both sexes and at all times of the year.

    Age standardised rates were calculated from the World standard population (direct method) with Poisson derivation of 95% confidence intervals (CI). Seasonal analysis was carried out by Edward's method, which fits a harmonic curve to the data by mathematically arranging monthly data in an imaginary circle that …

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    Footnotes

    • Funding: none.

    • Conflicts of interests: none.