SEASONAL MORTALITY PATTERNS DUE TO DISEASES OF THE CIRCULATORY SYSTEM IN PORTUGAL

Ricardo Almendra,Paula Santana,João Vasconcelos,Elisabete Freire

doi:10.24057/2071-9388-2015-8-1-71-78

Abstract

Exposure to cold weather has negative consequences on human health. Studies have been showing that the seasonality of mortality has an evident peak during winter months in European countries. However, the highest increases in mortality are registered in countries with mild winters. According to several studies winter deaths seem to be associated with low socioeconomic conditions. The main aims of this study are to identify the trends of mortality due to diseases of the circulatory system and excess winter deaths in Portugal and to assess the geographical pattern of seasonal mortality. In the 20 years under analyses, mortality due to diseases of the circulatory system increased 38% during winter months when compared to the non-winter period. Important regional disparities were found, the Excess Winter Death index ranged from 21% to 48%, the central regions tend to have better results. Our results indicate that although circulatory mortality is significantly decreasing in Portugal, the vulnerability to seasonal cold weather remains as an important public health issue. These findings suggest that the exposure to cold weather is an important determinant of cardiovascular diseases that is still neglected in Portugal.

Highlights

In Portugal, mortality due to diseases of the circulatory system is decreasing at an important pace since the last decades in result of significant improvements in healthcare and life conditions [Santana, 2014]
This paper aims to: i) characterize the winter deaths Non-winter deaths evolution of overall and seasonal mortality And their 95% confidence intervals: due to diseases of the circulatory system in Portugal; and ii) identify the geographical pattern of excess winter deaths Non-winter deaths winter mortality. =cl winterdeaths Non-winter deaths
The geographical pattern shows important regional disparities, the Excess Winter Deaths (EWD) rate tend to be higher in the regions near the border and the EWD index is lower in the central regions, is difficult to identify a clear pattern

Summary

Introduction

In Portugal, mortality due to diseases of the circulatory system is decreasing at an important pace since the last decades in result of significant improvements in healthcare and life conditions [Santana, 2014]. Cardiovascular mortality is strongly related with weather conditions, being the cause of death with higher increases due to temperature variations. The increases are recorded both during high and low temperatures, the number of Excess Winter Deaths (EWD) is higher than the heat related mortality. In most European countries, mortality has an important seasonal variation, characterized by a peak during the winter months and a decrease in rest of the year [Healy, 2003], this pattern is even more significant when the analysis is focus on diseases of the circulatory. The human body can maintain thermal comfort through appropriate thermoregulatory responses so that physical and mental activities can be pursued without

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