A Study of Circadian Rhythm and Meteorological Factors Influencing Acute Myocardial Infarction

Abstract

The circadian rhythm in the occurrence of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) was assessed in three hundred and twenty three patients admitted with AMI during the two-year period June 1992 to May 1994. The influence of the following meteorological, solar-geophysical and cosmic parameters in the causation of an infarct was also considered : (1) surface pressure (2) maximum temperature (3) minimum temperature (4) relative humidity (5) cosmic ray index (6) geomagnetic aa index (7) solar flares and (8) sunspot number. A well pronounced diurnal variability in AMI with a peak in the morning hours (6-12 a.m.) was seen. Further analysis of the data by considering one-hour periods revealed the presence of a smaller evening (10 p.m.) increase in incidence, i.e., the existence of a bimodal circadian rhythm. The simultaneous occurrence of the well documented semi-diurnal rhythm in surface pressure and incidence of acute myocardial infarction were evident. This may be one of the factors involved in the causation of the smaller evening peak-the reasons for which were unclear till now. Month-to-month variation in surface pressure was also found to be significantly correlated with incidence of acute myocardial infarction. Recognition of a circadian rhythm in the onset of AMI suggests the need for enhanced pharmacological protection during the vulnerable periods. Significant correlations were also found between monthly incidence of AMI and month-to-month variation of cosmic ray index and solar flare counts. The pattern of incidence of AMI was seen to be modified by full moon and new moon. There was no association between maximum temperature, minimum temperature or relative humidity and incidence of AMI.