Seasonal Variation in Incidence of Pediatric Medulloblastoma in the United States, 1995–2001

AbstractSeveral diseases associated with erectile dysfunction (ED), such as type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and coronary artery disease (CAD), are known to have seasonal variation, with increased incidence during winter months. However, no literature exists on whether this chronological-seasonal evolution is also present within ED symptomatology. We hypothesized ED would follow the seasonal pattern of its lifestyle-influenced comorbid conditions and exhibit increased incidence during winter months. In order to investigate the seasonal variation of ED in the United States between 2009 and 2019, Internet search query data were obtained using Google Trends. Normalized search volume was determined during the winter and summer seasons for ED, other diseases known to be significantly associated with ED (T2DM and CAD), kidney stones (positive control), and prostate cancer (negative control). There were significantly more internet search queries for ED during the winter than during the summer (p = 0.001). CAD and T2DM also had significantly increased search volume during winter months compared to summer months (p < 0.001 and p = 0.011, respectively). By contrast, searches for kidney stones were significantly increased in the summer than in the winter (p < 0.001). There was no significant seasonal variation in the relative search frequency for prostate cancer (p = 0.75). In conclusion, Google Trends internet search data across a ten-year period in the United States suggested a seasonal variation in ED, which implies an increase in ED during winter. This novel finding in ED epidemiology may help increase awareness of ED’s associated lifestyle risk factors, which may facilitate early medical evaluation and treatment for those at risk of both ED and cardiovascular disease.

Download Full-text

Abstract 504: Regional Variations of Ischemic Stroke in The United States

Arteriosclerosis Thrombosis and Vascular Biology ◽

10.1161/atvb.37.suppl_1.504 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 37 (suppl_1) ◽

Author(s):

Prateeth Pati ◽

Adnan Khalif ◽

Balaji Shanmugam

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Ischemic Stroke ◽

Seasonal Variation ◽

Acute Ischemic Stroke ◽

Geographic Distribution ◽

The United States ◽

Categorical Variables ◽

The South ◽

Admission Rates ◽

Chi Square Analysis

Geographic Distribution of Acute Ischemic Stroke admissions in the United States Background: The geographic distribution of acute ischemic stroke in the United States has not been evaluated, unlike the association shown with acute MI by Patel et al., (International Journal of Cardiology, 2014, 172.3). Our study looked at the geographic distribution and seasonal variation of acute ischemic stroke using the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) from 2011 - 2013. Methods: Adult admissions with a primary diagnosis of acute ischemic stroke were extracted from the NIS database using the ICD 9 code 434.91 from 2011 - 2013. Admission information included hospital region (West, South, Mid-Atlantic and Northwest) and seasonal admission rates (Winter=December-February, Spring=March-May, Summer=June-August, Fall=September-November). A Chi square analysis was used to analyze differences in categorical variables (we assumed a normal distribution of 25% per region). Results: A total of 120714 admissions were identified (weighted = 603361). There were more cases of acute ischemic stroke in the South (41.52 percent of admissions) compared to the mid Atlantic (21.4), Northwest (17.98) or West (19.08) with a p value < 0.0001. Each year between 2011 to 2013 showed a higher rate of admissions for acute ischemic stroke in the South. Taking the years into summation showed no statistically significant difference in seasonal variation in any of the regions. Conclusion: Our study shows a higher number of admissions for acute ischemic stroke in the South, but failed to show any seasonal differences. However, there are several studies that suggest a preponderance of admissions for acute myocardial infarction during the winter season, Spencer et al., (Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 1998, 31.2.) Further studies are needed to identify why there is a significant regional difference in the admission rates for acute ischemic stroke.

Download Full-text