An evaluation of the effect of ambient temperature on morbidity from acute coronary syndromes (ACS) while avoiding confounding by air pollution.
Design
An ecological study in rural Greece.
Methods
Daily admissions to hospital because of ACS were recorded for 1 year and analysed versus daily temperature and humidity.
Results
For a 1°C decrease in temperature there was a 1.6% (95% confidence interval 0.9–2.2%) increase in admissions. This effect was more prominent in the elderly. No difference was detected according to sex or type of ACS.
Conclusion
It is important to implement measures against cold in coronary heart disease prevention, irrespective of air pollution.
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