APPLICATION OF BIOMETEOROLOGICAL INDICES FOR EVALUATION OF CAR DIOVASCULAR MORTALITY AND MORBIDITY DUE TO HEAT AND COLD STRESS
Abstract
This study compares UTCI and other thermal indices in the analysis of heat- and cold- effects on excess CVD mortality and morbidity in urban (Prague) and rural (southern Bohemia) population in the Czech Republic over 1994-2009. Mean air temperature, UTCI, and other thermal indices are applied in order to identify days with heat and cold stress.
We found similar heat effects on CVD mortality for air temperature and the examined thermal indices, while responses of CVD mortality to cold effects differed substantially among the indices. Air temperature provides a weak cold effect in comparison with the thermal indices in both regions.
Negative effects of warm days on mortality were found mainly for chronic CVDs while significant cold-related mortality occurs mainly due to myocardial infarction. Differences between the urban and rural population are relatively small, except for cold days identified using UTCI in winter.
In contrast to mortality, we found no significant heat- and cold-effect on CVD morbidity (hospital admissions) in the two examined regions.