Does rain really cause pain? A systematic review of the associations between weather factors and severity of pain in people with rheumatoid arthritis

Objective: To examine the association between weather and pain in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods: Systematic review of longitudinal observational studies (up to September 2009) with data on the association between weather variables and severity of pain in RA. The methodological quality was rated independently by the two authors according to an adapted Newcastle–Ottawa Scale. We analyzed the data on an aggregated (group) level with a meta‐analysis of correlations between pain and weather, and at an individual level as the proportion of patients for whom pain was significantly affected by the weather. Results: Nine studies were included. Many different weather variables have been studied, but only three (temperature, relative humidity and atmospheric pressure) have been studied extensively. Overall group level analyses show that associations between pain and these three variables are close to zero. Individual analyses from two studies indicate that pain reporting in a minority (<25%) of RA patients is influenced by temperature, relative humidity or atmospheric pressure. We were not able to relate the findings to methodological quality or other aspects of the studies. Conclusion: The studies to date do not show any consistent group effect of weather conditions on pain in people with RA. There is, however, evidence suggesting that pain in some individuals is more affected by the weather than in others, and that patients react in different ways to the weather. Thus, the hypothesis that weather changes might significantly influence pain reporting in clinical care and research in some patients with RA cannot be rejected.     

Relationship between environment factors and the number of outpatient visits at a clinic for nonallergic rhinitis in Japan,extracted from electronic medical records

Background

The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of the environmental factors (meteorological factors, air pollutant levels, etc.) on the number of clinic consultations for nonallergic rhinitis (NAR).

Methods

Among the 9056 outpatients visiting a general internal medicine clinic in Japan between August 2012 and the end of July 2013 (counting return visitors as multiple cases), the total daily number of first visits for NAR plus the number of extraordinary visits by patients with NAR for acute exacerbation of the disease was investigated using electronic medical records and analyzed.

Results

Major parameters with significant Spearman’s correlation coefficients and significant correlation coefficients also in the multiple regression analysis were the mean vapor pressure (coefficient of determination 27.3 %) throughout the year, mean vapor pressure (58.4 %), mean temperature (44.4 %), maximum 10-min precipitation (12.0 %) only during the autumn-winter period, and temperature difference (13.3 %) only during the spring-summer period.

Conclusions

The mean vapor pressure is the most important environmental factor associated with acute exacerbation of NAR.     

The "Christmas Effect" and other biometeorologic influences on childbearing and the health of women

OBJECTIVE: To review the body of literature addressing biometeorologic and chronobiologic effects on conception, pregnancy, parturition, and other health conditions. DATA SOURCES: Computerized searches of MEDLINE, PUBMED, CINAHL, and the World Wide Web. STUDY SELECTION: Studies, including international research, dating from 1938 to 2001. DATA EXTRACTION: Data were extracted and information organized under the following categories: influence of leisure time and seasonality on the rate of conception and birth, the relationship of meteorologic changes and lunar cycles to childbearing, the "Christmas Effect" and its impact on other health outcomes, and nursing implications. DATA SYNTHESIS: Research from the disciplines of biometeorology and chronobiology indicates that there are patterns in the occurrence of conception, pregnancy, and onset of labor that vary in timing and amplitude in different populations and geographic regions. Consideration of these factors should be included in the analysis of birth data when planning and providing maternity care. The Christmas Effect is one of the most predominant seasonal patterns that can be seen in birth data throughout the world. CONCLUSIONS: Biometeorologic and other cyclic phenomena are underused in the United States in planning and providing maternity care. These phenomena warrant consideration when planning holistic health care.     

Weather,pollution, and acute myocardial infarction in Hong Kong and Taiwan

Background

Several previous studies examined the association between acute myocardial infarction (AMI) incidence and temperature and/or air pollution. Results of these studies have been inconsistent and few studies have been done in cities with sub-tropical or tropical climates.

Methods

Daily data on AMI hospitalizations, mean temperature and humidity, and pollutants, were collected for 2000–2009 for three warm-climate Asian cities. Poisson Generalized Additive Models were used to regress daily AMI counts on temperature, humidity, and pollutants while controlling for day of the week, long-term trends and seasonal effects. Smoothing splines allowing non-linear associations were used for temperature and humidity while pollutants were modeled as linear terms.

Results

A 1 °C drop below a threshold temperature of 24 °C was significantly (p < .0001) associated with AMI hospitalization increases of 3.7% (average lag 0–13 temperature) in Hong Kong, 2.6% (average lag 0–15) in Taipei, and 4.0% (average lag 0–11) in Kaohsiung. No significant heat effects were observed. Among pollutants same day nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) levels were the strongest predictors in all three cities, with a 10 mg/m³ increase in NO₂ being associated with a 1.1% rise in AMI hospitalization in Hong Kong, and a 10 ppb rise being associated with 4.4% and 2.6% rises in Taipei and Kaohsiung, respectively.

Conclusions

Cool temperatures and higher NO₂ levels substantially raised AMI risk in these warm-climate cities and the effect sizes we observed were stronger than those found in previous studies. More attention should be paid to the health dangers of cold weather in warm-climate cities.     

Social,toxicological and meteorological data on suicide attempts

Summary A sample of 151 patients, admitted to an Intensive Care Unit after attempted suicide by poisoning was analysed with regard to age, drugs consumed, possible causal factors and influence of weather. The German Weather Service provided the meteorological data. Mean age of the patients was 37.6 years. The patients had taken barbiturates, aggressive chemicals, tranquillizers or a combination of drugs (47%). Alcohol had been taken in addition to the drugs in 24%, which might indicate a trigger function. The main provoking causes for the suicide attempts were conflicts in partnerships and occupational problems. Some 15% of the patients had previously diagnosed psychiatric disorders. There was a significant positive correlation between the time of attempted suicide and the weather parameters stable upslide, labile upslide, fog, thunderstorm, warm air, upslide and weather drier than on the 2 preceding days. Significantly fewer attempts than expected occurred with low pressure and trough situation, labile ground layer-upslide above, subsidence or downslide motion. Apart from individual provoking factors, such as the reaction to conflicts and the spectrum of reactions, exogenous factors like weather must be considered as important for the timing of suicide attempts. These results may be of relevance for suicide prevention.