J Am Coll Cardiol

ESC 2024: Does exposure to cold increase MI risk?

September 5, 2024

Brief exposure to colder temperatures and cold spells can increase the risk of hospitalization for myocardial infarction (MI). These findings, shared at the recent European Society of Cardiology meeting in London, emphasize the importance of further research into cardiac risks associated with cold weather, especially as climate change continues to alter weather patterns.

• In this population-based nationwide study, researchers investigated the short-term effects of lower air temperature and cold spells on the risk of hospitalization for MI in Sweden. A total of 120,380 patients admitted to hospitals for MI during the cold season from 2005 to 2019 were included. The short-term effects of lower air temperature and cold spells were then estimated on total MI, non-ST-segment elevation MI (NSTEMI) and ST-segment elevation MI (STEMI).
• A decrease of 1-unit in percentile temperature at a lag of 2 to 6 days was significantly associated with increased risks of total MI, NSTEMI, and STEMI, with ORs of 1.099, 1.110, and 1.076, respectively.
• Additionally, cold spells at a lag of 2 to 6 days were significantly associated with increased risks for total MI, NSTEMI, and STEMI, with ORs of 1.077, 1.069, and 1.095, respectively. Conversely, decreased risks for MI were associated with lower air temperature and cold spells at a lag of 0 to 1 days.

Source:

Ni W, et al. (2024, August 19). J Am Coll Cardiol. Short-Term Effects of Lower Air Temperature and Cold Spells on Myocardial Infarction Hospitalizations in Sweden. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39230547/