scholarly journals Short-Term Effect of Temperature Change on Non-Accidental Mortality in Shenzhen, China

Author(s):  
Yao Xiao ◽  
Chengzhen Meng ◽  
Suli Huang ◽  
Yanran Duan ◽  
Gang Liu ◽  
...  

Temperature change is an important meteorological indicator reflecting weather stability. This study aimed to examine the effects of ambient temperature change on non-accidental mortality using diurnal temperature change (DTR) and temperature change between neighboring days (TCN) from two perspectives, intra-day and inter-day temperature change, and further, to explore seasonal variations of mortality, identify the susceptible population and investigate the interaction between temperature change and apparent temperature (AT). We collected daily data on cause-specific mortality, air pollutants and meteorological indicators in Shenzhen, China, from 1 January 2013 to 29 December 2017. A Quasi-Poisson generalized linear regression combined with distributed lag non-linear models (DLNMs) were conducted to estimate the effects of season on temperature change-related mortality. In addition, a non-parametric bivariate response surface model was used to explore the interaction between temperature change and AT. The cumulative effect of DTR was a U-shaped curve for non-accidental mortality, whereas the curve for TCN was nearly monotonic. The overall relative risks (RRs) of non-accidental, cardiovascular and respiratory mortality were 1.407 (95% CI: 1.233–1.606), 1.470 (95% CI: 1.220–1.771) and 1.741 (95% CI: 1.157–2.620) from exposure to extreme large DTR (99th) in cold seasons. However, no statistically significant effects were observed in warm seasons. As for TCN, the effects were higher in cold seasons than warm seasons, with the largest RR of 1.611 (95% CI: 1.384–1.876). The elderly and females were more sensitive, and low apparent temperature had a higher effect on temperature change-related non-accidental mortality. Temperature change was positively correlated with an increased risk of non-accidental mortality in Shenzhen. Both female and elderly people are more vulnerable to the potential adverse effects, especially in cold seasons. Low AT may enhance the effects of temperature change.

2018 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 249-254
Author(s):  
Zhaoyong SHI ◽  
Ke LI ◽  
Yongming WANG ◽  
Bede S. MICKAN ◽  
Weikang YUAN ◽  
...  

Soil respiration is one of the main fluxes in the global carbon cycle. The effect of temperature on soil respiration is well understood. The response of soil respiration to temperature warming is called apparent temperature sensitivity (Q10) of soil respiration, which is an important parameter in modeling soil CO2 effluxes under global climate warming. The difference of Q10 between daytime and nighttime was hardly reported although attentions are attracted by the differences of temperature change and its effects on vegetation productivity. In this study, we investigated the Q10 of soil respiration in daytime and nighttime by modeling empirical functions based on the in situ measurement of soil respiration and temperature in temperate and subtropical forests of eastern China. Our results showed that the Q10 of soil respiration is higher in nighttime with the mean value of 2.74 and 2.35 than daytime with the average of 2.49 and 2.18 in all measured months and growing season, respectively. Moreover, the explanatory rate of soil temperature to soil respiration in nighttime is also higher than in daytime in each site in both all measured and growing seasons. The Q10 and explanatory rate of soil temperature to soil respiration in nighttime is 1.08 and 1.15 times in daytime in growing season. These findings indicate that soil respiration has a bigger sensitivity to temperature in nighttime than daytime. The change of soil temperature explains more variation of soil respiration in nighttime than daytime.


Heart Asia ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. e011068 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Taghi Moghadamnia ◽  
Ali Ardalan ◽  
Alireza Mesdaghinia ◽  
Kazem Naddafi ◽  
Mir Saeed Yekaninejad

ObjectiveOur objective was to assess the relations between apparent temperature and incidence of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in Rasht, Iran.MethodsWe used a time-series analysis to investigate the relationship between apparent temperature and hospital admission from 2005 to 2014. Distributed lag non-linear models were used to estimate the association between ACS hospitalisation and apparent temperature. To examine the high-temperature effect on ACS hospital admission, the relative risk of ACS hospital admission associated with high temperature, the 99th percentile of temperature (34.7°C) compared with the 75th percentile of temperature (26.9°C), was calculated. To assess the cold effect on ACS hospital admission, the relative risk of ACS hospital admission associated with cold temperature, the first percentile of temperature (−0.2°C) compared with the 25th percentile of temperature (8.2°C), was evaluated.ResultsThe cumulative effect of hot exposure on ACS admissions was statistically significant, with a relative risk of 2.04 (95% CI 1.06 to 4.16). The cumulative effect of cold temperature on ACS admissions was found to be non-significant. The highest risk of ACS admission in women was in 38°C (RR, 2.03, 95%  CI 1.04 to 4.18). The effect of hot temperature on ACS admission occurred immediately (lag 0) (RR, 1.09, 95%  CI 1.001 to 1.19).ConclusionsThe high apparent temperature is correlated with a higher ACS admission especially on the same day. These findings may have implications for developing intervention strategies to reduce and prevent temperature-related morbidity especially in the elderly.


2011 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 577-586 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie-Pierre Sylvestre ◽  
Michal Abrahamowicz ◽  
Radan Čapek ◽  
Robyn Tamblyn

ABSTRACTBackground: The use of benzodiazepines is associated with increased risk of fall-related injuries in the elderly. However, it is unclear if the risks vary across the products and how they depend on the pattern of use and dosage. Specifically, the possibility of cumulative effects of past benzodiazepine use has not been thoroughly investigated.Methods: We used the administrative database for a cohort of 23,765 new users of benzodiazepines, aged 65 years and older, in Quebec, Canada, between 1990 and 1994. The associations between the use of seven benzodiazepines and the risk of fall-related injuries were assessed using several statistical models, including a novel weighted cumulative exposure model. That model assigns to each dose taken in the past a weight that represents the importance of that dose in explaining the current risk of fall.Results: For flurazepam, the best-fitting model indicated a cumulative effect of doses taken in the last two weeks. Uninterrupted use of flurazepam in the past months was associated with a highly significant increase in the risk of fall-related injuries (HR = 2.83, 95% CI: 1.45–4.34). The cumulative effect of a 30-day exposure to alprazolam was 1.27 (1.13–1.42). For temazepam, the results suggested a potential withdrawal effect.Conclusions: Mechanisms affecting the risk of falls differ across benzodiazepines, and may include cumulative effects of use in the previous few weeks. Thus, benzodiazepine-specific analyses that account for individual patterns of use should be preferred over simpler analyses that group different benzodiazepines together and limit exposure to current use or current dose.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Na Li ◽  
Junxiong Ma ◽  
Fangjing Liu ◽  
Yan Zhang ◽  
Pengkun Ma ◽  
...  

AbstractLimited evidence is available on apparent temperature (AT) and hospital admissions for acute cardiac events. We examined the associations of AT with admissions for acute cardiac events and acute coronary syndrome (ACS), and explored the effect difference between ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction ACS (NSTE-ACS). Poisson regression with distributed lag non-linear model was applied to examine the temperature-lag-admission associations. Stratified analyses were performed by gender and age-groups for acute cardiac events. A total of 11,657 acute cardiac events admissions were collected from hospital-based chest pain centers in Beijing, during 2017–2019. The single day effect of low AT (− 11 °C, 2.5th percentile) appeared on the 2nd day and persisted until the 11th day, with estimated relative risk (RR) ranging from 1.44 (95% CI: 1.159, 1.790) to 1.084 (95% CI: 1.022, 1.150) for acute cardiac events and from 1.034 (95% CI: 1.010, 1.059) to 1.006 (95% CI: 1.000, 1.011) for ACS. The single day effect of high AT (34 °C, 97.5th percentile) was only observed on the current day. The cold effect on acute cardiac events was more pronounced among female and older patients. The cumulative effect of high AT on STEMI admissions and low AT on NSTE-ACS reached a peak RR peak of 2.545 (95% CI: 1.016, 6.375) and 3.71 (95% CI: 1.315, 10.469) on lag 0–6 days, respectively. Both high and low ATs were associated with increased risk of acute cardiac events and ACS admissions. STEMI admissions may be more sensitive to high AT while NSTE-ACS to low AT.


BMJ ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. n534
Author(s):  
Xia Meng ◽  
Cong Liu ◽  
Renjie Chen ◽  
Francesco Sera ◽  
Ana Maria Vicedo-Cabrera ◽  
...  

Abstract Objective To evaluate the short term associations between nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) and total, cardiovascular, and respiratory mortality across multiple countries/regions worldwide, using a uniform analytical protocol. Design Two stage, time series approach, with overdispersed generalised linear models and multilevel meta-analysis. Setting 398 cities in 22 low to high income countries/regions. Main outcome measures Daily deaths from total (62.8 million), cardiovascular (19.7 million), and respiratory (5.5 million) causes between 1973 and 2018. Results On average, a 10 μg/m 3 increase in NO 2 concentration on lag 1 day (previous day) was associated with 0.46% (95% confidence interval 0.36% to 0.57%), 0.37% (0.22% to 0.51%), and 0.47% (0.21% to 0.72%) increases in total, cardiovascular, and respiratory mortality, respectively. These associations remained robust after adjusting for co-pollutants (particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter ≤10 μm or ≤2.5 μm (PM 10 and PM 2.5 , respectively), ozone, sulfur dioxide, and carbon monoxide). The pooled concentration-response curves for all three causes were almost linear without discernible thresholds. The proportion of deaths attributable to NO 2 concentration above the counterfactual zero level was 1.23% (95% confidence interval 0.96% to 1.51%) across the 398 cities. Conclusions This multilocation study provides key evidence on the independent and linear associations between short term exposure to NO 2 and increased risk of total, cardiovascular, and respiratory mortality, suggesting that health benefits would be achieved by tightening the guidelines and regulatory limits of NO 2 .


2020 ◽  
Vol 62 (2) ◽  
pp. 86-91
Author(s):  
Justyna Pawlak ◽  
Małgorzata Dudkiewicz ◽  
Łukasz Kikowski

Introduction: The progressing aging process and comorbidities worsen the efficiency of the balance system in the elderly, which leads to a weakening of stability and, as a consequence, to falls and injuries. The first ones lead to: worsening of functioning, reduced mobility, an increased risk of disease and mortality, therefore systematic physical activity and shaping the balance using physiotherapy, which can prevent dangerous falls is very important. Aim: Assessment of the therapeutic effect of physiotherapy on minimizing imbalances in geriatric patients. M aterial and Methods: The study group consisted of 46 people, including 32 women (69.6%) and 14 men (30.4%); average age of respondents – 72.5 years. They were patients of the Department of Rehabilitation of Poddębice Health Center, Ltd. The researchers used a self-made questionnaire, body mass to height index (BMI) and the Tinetti Test. Results: Patients with an elevated BMI (89.1%), as well as those taking more than 4 medication (78.3%), have had more falls over the past year (respectively 91.4% and 81.4%). After the use of comprehensive therapy, none of the patients achieved a worse result than before the physiotherapy while 91.3% of the respondents had an increase in the number of points scored in the Tinetti Test. The percentage of patients at high risk of falling reduced from 67.4% to 37%. There was also a decrease in the fear of walking (in 58.7%), falling (in 57.7%) and climbing stairs (in 47.9%). According to 78.3% of respondents, physiotherapy positively affected their independence and quality of life. Conclusions: The use of comprehensive physiotherapy reduces the fear of walking, climbing stairs and falling, which can be a good predictor of prevention. Both polypragmasia and an elevated body mass index (BMI) increase the risk of falling. Comprehensive physiotherapy of geriatric patients helps to improve balance and gait stereotype. Physiotherapy for the elderly helps improve the quality of life, independence, minimize imbalances, and thus reduce the risk of falls. Balance exercises play an important role in preventing falls.


Author(s):  
Yan Wang ◽  
Feng Hao ◽  
Yunxia Liu

Population change and environmental degradation have become two of the most pressing issues for sustainable development in the contemporary world, while the effect of population aging on pro-environmental behavior remains controversial. In this paper, we examine the effects of individual and population aging on pro-environmental behavior through multilevel analyses of cross-national data from 31 countries. Hierarchical linear models with random intercepts are employed to analyze the data. The findings reveal a positive relationship between aging and pro-environmental behavior. At the individual level, older people are more likely to participate in environmental behavior (b = 0.052, p < 0.001), and at the national level, living in a country with a greater share of older persons encourages individuals to behave sustainably (b = 0.023, p < 0.01). We also found that the elderly are more environmentally active in an aging society. The findings imply that the longevity of human beings may offer opportunities for the improvement of the natural environment.


2021 ◽  
pp. 108482232098693
Author(s):  
Christofer Rydenfält ◽  
Roger Persson ◽  
Inger Arvidsson ◽  
Charlotte Holgersson ◽  
Gerd Johansson ◽  
...  

Home care for the elderly constitutes a large and growing part of the social welfare system. Though, home care work is associated with a number of work environment-related challenges, including an increased risk for injuries, musculoskeletal disorders, high levels of sick leave and staff turnover, as well as stress and high workload, research is sparse. The present study explores local initiatives to improve the work environment initiated by the home care organizations themselves, and asks whether or not these initiatives affected gender equality. A qualitative web survey was sent to Swedish home care organizations, with open questions about change initiatives intended to have a positive effect on the work environment. There is an impressive amount of local work environment-related change initiatives going on. 80 categories of change initiatives were identified in answers from 178 units. However, these change initiatives were seldom evaluated or made accessible to stakeholders outside the organization. Main themes were concerned with work organization, digitalization, and planning, which largely follows trends in society (ie, digitalization, teamwork), rather than the actual needs identified by research (eg, musculoskeletal disorders). Despite apparent gender-related challenges, little of the work was associated with gender equality. The results indicates that there is a huge learning potential as the identified initiatives can serve as inspiration for others. However, to fully take advantage of these type of initiatives, more systematic evaluations are required.


Biomedicines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 764
Author(s):  
Shih-Lung Cheng ◽  
Kuo-Chin Chiu ◽  
Hsin-Kuo Ko ◽  
Diahn-Warng Perng ◽  
Hao-Chien Wang ◽  
...  

Purpose: To understand the association between biomarkers and exacerbations of severe asthma in adult patients in Taiwan. Materials and Methods: Demographic, clinical characteristics and biomarkers were retrospectively collected from the medical charts of severe asthma patients in six hospitals in Taiwan. Exacerbations were defined as those requiring asthma-specific emergency department visits/hospitalizations, or systemic steroids. Enrolled patients were divided into: (1) those with no exacerbations (non-exacerbators) and (2) those with one or more exacerbations (exacerbators). Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to determine the optimal cut-off value for biomarkers. Generalized linear models evaluated the association between exacerbation and biomarkers. Results: 132 patients were enrolled in the study with 80 non-exacerbators and 52 exacerbators. There was no significant difference in demographic and clinical characteristics between the two groups. Exacerbators had significantly higher eosinophils (EOS) counts (367.8 ± 357.18 vs. 210.05 ± 175.24, p = 0.0043) compared to non-exacerbators. The optimal cut-off values were 292 for EOS counts and 19 for the Fractional exhaled Nitric Oxide (FeNO) measure. Patients with an EOS count ≥ 300 (RR = 1.88; 95% CI, 1.26–2.81; p = 0.002) or FeNO measure ≥ 20 (RR = 2.10; 95% CI, 1.05–4.18; p = 0.0356) had a significantly higher risk of exacerbation. Moreover, patients with both an EOS count ≥ 300 and FeNO measure ≥ 20 had a significantly higher risk of exacerbation than those with lower EOS count or lower FeNO measure (RR = 2.16; 95% CI, 1.47–3.18; p = < 0.0001). Conclusions: Higher EOS counts and FeNO measures were associated with increased risk of exacerbation. These biomarkers may help physicians identify patients at risk of exacerbations and personalize treatment for asthma patients.


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