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.     

Effect of seasonality and weather on fracture risk in individuals 65 years and older

Summary In this large population-based study, fracture rates for hips, distal forearms, proximal humeri, and ankles were higher in winter than in other seasons, although the winter peak was small for hip fractures (p < 0.05 at all sites). Younger age between 65 and 80, living in warmer states and male gender were associated with increased winter morbidity due to fractures. Introduction The objective was to investigate seasonal variation in the incidence of four common fractures, and explore the association of weather with risk. Methods Population-based analysis of individuals age 65 and older, including fractures of the hip, the distal forearm, the proximal humerus and the ankle. Weather information was obtained from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration website. Results For all fractures, rates were highest in winter and lowest in summer (p < 0.05 at all sites). Winter peaks were more pronounced in warm climate states, in men, and in those younger than 80 years old. In winter, total snowfall was associated with a reduced risk of hip fracture (−5% per 20 inches) but an increased risk of non-hip fractures (6–12%; p < 0.05 at all sites). In summer, hip fracture risk tended to be lower during sunny weather (− 3% per 2 weeks of sunny days; p = 0.13), while other fractures were increased (15%–20%; p < 0.05) in sunny weather. Conclusion Fractures contribute considerably to winter morbidity in older individuals. Younger age between 65 and 80, living in warmer states and male gender are risk factors for increased winter morbidity due to fractures. Weather affects hip fracture risk differently than the other fractures studied. Funding Supported by fellowships from the Harvard Hartford Foundation, from the Swiss Foundation for Nutrition Research, and the International Foundation for the Promotion of Nutrition Research and Nutrition Education.     

The effect of season and weather on physical activity: a systematic review

OBJECTIVES: This study reviewed previous studies to explore the effect of season, and consequently weather, on levels of physical activity. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Thirty-seven primary studies (published 1980-2006) representing a total of 291883 participants (140482 male and 152085 female) from eight different countries are described, and the effect of season on moderate levels of physical activity is considered. RESULTS: Upon review of the evidence, it appears that levels of physical activity vary with seasonality, and the ensuing effect of poor or extreme weather has been identified as a barrier to participation in physical activity among various populations. Therefore, previous studies that did not recognize the effect of weather and season on physical activity may, in fact, be poor representations of this behaviour. CONCLUSIONS: Future physical activity interventions should consider how weather promotes or hinders such behaviour. Providing indoor opportunities during the cold and wet months may foster regular physical activity behaviours year round.     

广州市气象因素对手足口病发病的短期效应研究

有研究表明,手足口病在潮湿季节有病例增加的趋势[1].广州市近年来手足口病流行,并有夏秋季高发的特点[2].本研究使用分布滞后非线性模型(DLNM)探索气象对手足口病发病的影响[3].     

Winter air-mass-based synoptic climatological approach and hospital admissions for myocardial infarction in Florence, Italy

The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between the risk of hospital admission for myocardial infarction (MI) and the daily weather conditions during the winters of 1998-2003, according to an air-mass-based synoptic climatological approach. The effects of time lag and 2-day sequences with specific air mass types were also investigated. Studies concerning the relationship between atmospheric conditions and human health need to take into consideration simultaneous effects of many weather variables. At the moment few studies have surveyed these effects on hospitalizations for MI. Analyses were concentrated on winter, when the maximum peak of hospitalization occurred. An objective daily air mass classification by means of statistical analyses based on ground meteorological data was carried out. A comparison between air mass classification and hospital admissions was made by the calculation of a MI admission index, and to detect significant relationships the Mann-Whitney U test, the analysis of variance, and the Bonferroni test were used. Significant increases in hospital admissions for MI were evident 24h after a day characterized by an anticyclonic continental air mass and 6 days after a day characterized by a cyclonic air mass. Increased risk of hospitalization was found even when specific 2-day air mass sequences occurred. These results represent an important step in identifying reliable linkages between weather and health.     

心血管事件年和日周期节律的临床研究

目的 探讨心血管事件的年和日周期节律.方法 记录10年间5837例急诊患者心血管疾病事件发生的时间和月平均气温,分析月平均气温与心血管事件的关系.结果 急性心肌梗死、心绞痛、急性左心衰竭、高血压危象、猝死以冬春寒冷季节及季节交替时发病率最高,发病率与月平均气温显著负相关(P<0.005～0.001).清晨和上午心血管事件发病率较高.结论 心血管事件的发生具有明显的年和日周期节律;寒冷是心血管事件的重要危险因素,清晨和上午为发病的高峰时段.     

A Two-Year Occurrence of Fusarium T-2 and HT-2 Toxin in Croatian Cereals Relative of the Regional Weather

To investigate into the T-2 and HT-2 toxin occurrence, 240 samples of unprocessed cereals (maize, wheat, barley, and oats) were sampled from different fields located in three Croatian regions during 2017–2018. In all samples, sum concentrations of T-2/HT-2 toxin were determined using the ELISA method, while the LC-MS/MS was used as a confirmatory method for both mycotoxins in positive samples (>LOD) and the establishment of T-2 over HT-2 toxin ratios. The results showed oats to be the most contaminated cereal, with T-2/HT-2 toxins detected in 70.0% of samples, followed by barley (40.9%), maize (26.8%) and wheat (19.2%), with the mean T-2/HT-2 ratio ranging from 1:2.7 in maize to 1:4.4 in oats. Sum T-2/HT-2 concentrations in two maize samples were higher than the indicative level recommended by the European Commission, necessitating subsequent investigations into the conditions under which these poorly investigated mycotoxins are produced. Statistically significantly (p < 0.05) higher concentrations of T-2/HT-2 toxin were determined in oats throughout study regions as compared to those found in wheat, but not maize and barley, while the concentrations of these mycotoxins were related to the regional weather in Croatia.     

北京市2013年冬季极端天气时室内细颗粒物浓度水平及其特征研究

目的 研究极端天气条件下室内空气中细颗粒物(PM2.5)浓度水平及其特征.方法 选择2013年1月份连续雾霾及2月份春节燃放烟花爆竹期间,在北京市CDC,考虑空间垂直和水平距离,以及窗户密封性和室内人为活动量,分别在室内和室外各设置3个监测点.采用膜采样和实验室重量法,连续监测室内外空气中PM2.5质量浓度,同时收集气象资料.结果 室内总体PM2.5浓度中位数(四分位数)为87.76(52.05 ～ 174.48) μg/m3,低于室外[128.79(95.14 ～ 221.88) μg/m3,Z=-4.126,P＜0.01].室内3个监测点间浓度差异有统计学意义(x2=23.09,P＜0.01),窗户密封差的监测点B浓度最高[94.05(63.46～ 189.17) μg/m3],其次是有人员活动的监测点A[87.76 (43.54～159.86) μg/m3],密封好及人员活动少的监测点C浓度最低[77.89(51.19 ～ 144.40)μg/m3].雾霾期间室内PM2.5浓度[273.22 (223.44～ 308.47) μg/m3]高于室内总体浓度水平(Z=-5.20,P＜0.01);燃放鞭炮期间PM25浓度[167.90(129.15 ～ 187.90) μg/m3]高于春节期间(7 d)室内浓度水平[72.76(36.97～ 145.30) μg/m3,Z=-2.34,P＜0.05],同时高于室内总体水平(Z=-1.98,P＜0.05),但低于雾霾天气浓度水平(Z=-3.43,P＜0.01).所有室内质量浓度与室外质量浓度的比值(I/O比值)中除4个值在1.00～1.09外,其余都小于1.00,其中监测点B的I/O比值(0.69 ±0.21)＞监测点A(0.64±0.23)＞监测点C(0.58 ±0.18) (F =22.85,P＜0.01),而且雾霾期间I/O比值(0.87±0.14)＞燃放鞭炮(0.68±0.08)＞日平均浓度小于75μg/m3的晴好天气(0.51±0.18) (F =29.88,P ＜0.05).降雪或刮3级以上风可以使大气中PM2.5浓度降至谷值,而I/O比值在连日刮3级以上风时才会达到谷底值.当雾霾天气缓解或消失后,室外带入室内的PM2.5会滞留1～2d.结论 室内空气中PM2.5浓度随室外浓度增加而增加,雾霾和燃放鞭炮会导致室内空气质量严重下降,并随室外空气质量的改善具有滞后性.